Converging Paths
by Chaos Lord
Summary: A freak accident has added a new player in the Angel War. As they try to get home, they are forced to make friends and ensure man's supremacy against God's knights.
1. Every Story has a Begining

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Prologue - Every story has a beginning.

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It was done. The endless loop through time and space was begun anew. In the heart of the artificial woman known as Ifurita an odd duality formed. On one hand she knew that what she had just done was a good thing. By sending the love of her life, her dearest Makoto, across the dimensional expanse he and the others she sent, Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa, and even Jinai, would be able to alter the world of El-Hazard forever. Along the way Makoto would free her, they would fall in love, and the cycle would continue.

On the other hand, she did send Makoto away. For ten thousand years Ifurita had waited to see him again. As she waited she slept to conserve power in order to perform the task that would start everything again. While her body slept Ifurita's newly found subconscious dreamed of her love and the moment, sometime down the road, when they would be reunited. But her dreams were accompanied by messages from the mechanical portion of her psyche. These messages were not happy like her dreams, no, they told of a very bitter reality. Despite the stasis room she built and the deep hibernation that she had placed upon most of her systems Ifurita's immense power reserves were declining. As time elapsed her hopes of surviving past the point of sending Makoto and company became more and more distant.

And so, with the task that she had assigned herself complete, Ifurita decided to use what remaining strength that she possessed to take a walk through the school that figured so predominantly in Makoto's memories. As she walked through the halls of Shininomi High Ifurita was bombarded with images that came from Makoto's memories. Each memory was of something inconsequential, walking down the hall, listening to a teacher drone on about one subject or another, but for Ifurita these scenes were treasures that allowed her a further glimpse into the mind and heart of Makoto. Each step that she took became harder and harder to perform as what little power she had left dwindled away.

As she stumbled towards the area near what she now knew as the basketball courts Ifurita could feel that her end would be soon upon her. Becoming too weak to walk any further she leaned against the fence. Looking out in the direction of the basketball courts Ifurita saw a bright light and knew that this was it. When the image of her beloved Makoto appeared within the white light she summoned what little strength left to and she walked towards it. She knew that it was just her mechanical systems shutting down and her organic systems dying as a part of that shut down but she didn't care for at least she would be with Makoto in spirit if not in actuality. But as she reached the hallucination of her love she didn't pass through or collapse into a dead heap, no she hit warm flesh and soft cloths.

Looking up, Ifurita saw that Makoto had aged several years since she last saw him on the surface of the Eye of God. The boyish good looks that had gained him so many suitors had vanished and in their place was the handsome nobility of the man that he was now. As she became aware that Makoto was not a death-induced hallucination other things began to register in Ifurita's mind. The primary of which being the fact that her power reserves were no longer decreasing. They were in fact rising to her minimal safe operating level. She still did not have enough to perform any of the feats that made so many on El-Hazard fear her, but she had more than enough to keep her organic systems operating safely.

The reason for Ifurita's newfound strength you may ask? Well in his journey from El-Hazard Makoto brought with him Ifurita's power key staff. Once it symbolized Ifurita's slavery to the masters that built her millennia ago but now it was a symbol of the link that the couple shared. For when Ifurita went into the Eye of God in order to save El-Hazard from its wrath she left her staff with Makoto so that he could communicate to her how to stop the creation of ancient El-Hazard. With her staff here it gave her some measure of strength even though she had not been wound.

Not a word was spoken between the newly reunited pair for none was necessary. Unlike most people Makoto has a special gift, with the simplest of touches he can interact with the technology of ancient El-Hazard. It so happens that Ifurita is one of those pieces of technology and it was Makoto's gift that transformed Ifurita from the feared Demon God that she had been bound to be to the woman that she was now. Makoto was using this gift, and the link they shared, to convey all the emotions that he was feeling at that moment. As Ifurita felt all that Makoto was feeling at that moment so was he experiencing her emotions. And so they did not utter a sound for they were both so overcome by emotion that neither could say anything.

After several seconds Makoto and Ifurita withdrew their consciousnesses back into their own bodies yet they still maintained a connection. It was through this connection that Makoto said, "Let's go home." All Ifurita's response comprised of was a joyous smile and a tightening of her embrace. Makoto got the message and accessed the Power Key Staff's symmetry. In an instant the couple was enveloped in swirling white light and Makoto Mizuhara left Earth once more.

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Kazuki Yotsuga was at peace and he was happy to get it. In his life peace was in short supply for he had a problem that many a man would give their left arm for, he had many able bodied young women after him. It all started a little over a year ago. One day, on his way home from school Kazuki saw a vision of a great battle between two giant robots, one white and one green. As time passed the visions increased in frequency, each scene one of battle. Though they happened in different places and showed different battles one thing remained the same, the white robot. He became so enthusiastic about the visions that he gave the white robot a name, Hartzenen , and he even began to publish an account of the visions on his personal web site. These stories made him rather famous in his High School, though the fame he received was not exactly to his liking.

It was his stories that brought him to the attention of one Mitsuki Sanada. Mitsuki was not the type that would be interested in his story. She was cool, aloof, and more importantly she was popular. In Kazuki's world popular girls don't just walk up and ask you to come to their house. But ask she did and it turned out to be a turning point in his life. Upon arriving at the Sanada home Kazuki was introduced to the home's patriarch, Ken Sanada. If ever there was a mad scientist it was Ken Sanada and like all true mad scientists Ken studied in a field that was rather obscure, dimensional physics. He had even created a device that would send a person to a parallel dimension. It was this device that Mitsuki accidentally activated and it was that device that sent Kazuki to a world not his own.

This new world, Kazuki soon found out, was the world of his visions. Soon he was the pilot of Hartzenen and along with Mitsuki Sanada became embroiled in a war against a group called the Rara Army. As he tried to find his place in this new world Kazuki came to the attention of several young women; Yayoi Schwael, D, and eventually Mitsuki Rara. Yayoi was Hartzenen's former pilot and after Kazuki saved her during one battle she became hopelessly enamored with him. D was a rather odd young woman, you see her body was not real at all, in fact it was a bioroid shell for D's soul that resided in her left eye. The other Mitsuki was the daughter of the head of the Rara army and the complete opposite of the Mitsuki from his world. Where his Mitsuki was rather abrasive the Mitsuki of this world was kind soft-spoken. Added to these three was Mitsuki Sanada who, despite her protests, cared deeply for Kazuki. Unfortunately several of the girls were somewhat more forward with their affections and Mitsuki was none to pleased with them. Something she stated quite vocally.

After several months in this new world Kazuki gained a new robot, Zinv (A/N For those who don't this is pronounced JeanBoo). Zinv was far superior to Hartzenen and the other Core Robots and for some reason he seemed to respond to Kazuki alone. With the introduction of Zinv a new problem began to arise, the two worlds were going to come together and explode. But during the final battle against the Rara forces the limiters that bound Zinv were released and through his awesome power Zinv was able to safely merge the two worlds, to the betterment of both.

Though it was thought that Zinv was destroyed in the merging, he was not. Professors Sanada and Rara saw the benefit in Zinv and the technology he represented. By utilizing the power of the artifact technology that once threatened the two worlds mankind could travel into the limitless deaths of space.

Today, at a testing facility owned by Rara, Kazuki and Zinv were demonstrating one of the fighting machine's most interesting and terrifying weapons, the ability to create a black hole. During the final battle before the merging of the two worlds Kazuki and Zinv used this weapon to completely eradicate the Rara artifact. Professor Sanada took notes during the event but he had been unable to gather any real data. As such this was the first opportunity to test this remarkable ability under controlled setting since the merging of the worlds.

As he sat in the control chair of Zinv Kazuki waited for word from the fortified bunker where all his friends were. He did not have to wait long. "Kazuki, we're ready on our side. Go as soon as you're ready," said Professor Sanada.

Kazuki took a deep breath and placed his hands on the Sympathy Orbs, "Ready Zinv." Though the robot did not answer it did not need to, he and Kazuki were one and the same. Like everyone else Kazuki had a parallel self but instead of someone who looked the same, Kazuki's other self was Zinv. Kazuki then keyed the mike and began to take Zinv up, "Okay. Starting test. Rising to one thousand feet." Given the damage that was caused during the last time this was done it was felt that Zinv should be taken to a spot far enough away from the ground.

Once he reached mission altitude Kazuki summoned Zinv's Light Hawk Wings. From Zinv's back extended two large "wings" of white light. Once they reached their full length the white light exploded into a multitude of hexagonal flakes. In the white light's place there was a pair of green-blue wings. Kazuki then moved on to the next phase of the operation. From the position of an observer on the outside they would hear a horrible roar that was emitted from the machine. The roar was not one that you would hear being emitted from an animal or even a human, instead it sounded as if some deity had descended to lay its wrath upon the world. This was only amplified by the brightly glowing red eye that was visible through the hole in the left side of the faceplate. As if he were struggling against the very fabric of the universe Zinv moved his arms to in front of his chest. When they his hands got close enough to one another reddish-orange electricity began to arc from the point right between his hands. As he spread his arms a sphere of pure blackness formed in front of the alien creation. Then all hell broke loose.

In the control center Hayase was the first to know that something was amiss. But that knowledge did not come quick enough and soon alarms were sounding though out the room. Using reflexes honed overseeing countless battles during the war Professor Sanada was out of his chair in an instant, "Report!"

Hayase's voice rang out over the squeals of the alarm. "We're detecting dimensional anomalies around Zinv completely out of the ranges we had predicted." Before actually conducting this test Professors Sanada and Rara along with their staff had spent months in simulations. They took all of the observations by eyewitnesses and input the data along with what little was known about what had happened last time into a computer. Using that data they came up with what they felt was an accurate model of what had happened and the energy necessary to allow Zinv to do what it did. With a working model in hand they ran every simulation that they could and only after they were sure that nothing bad would happen they gave the go ahead for this test.

As more data came in from the various sensor installations in the surrounding area Hayase paled considerably, "My God." She then looked back at Professor Sanada. "Professor! There is a localized dimensional tear forming around Zinv. It matches the tear that was present each time Kazuki jumped dimensions!"

Ken Sanada knew what that meant and before he could say or do anything the inevitable happened. Zinv began to glow yellow and then with one last defiant roar both he and Kazuki disappeared from the testing area. As he stood there with his hands upon the console before him Ken Sanada felt a gaping maw form in his soul. He had just seen, in startling clarity, the young man he had come to love as a son vanish. Unlike Kazuki's other jumps, which had occurred under controlled conditions, Ken had no clue as to where to look for the wayward young man. Then he realized something truly terrifying. Like a man on the way to his own funeral Ken slowly turned his head toward the back of the room. As he looked upon the visitor's gallery Ken saw that his worst fear had come true. In a row sat all of the young ladies that vied for Kazuki's attention. Between D and Yayoi there was an empty seat. This seat had once been occupied by his daughter, Mitsuki, and from the expressions of those to either side of the seat it was apparent that, like Kazuki, she too had disappeared.

All Ken could do was stand there in complete numbness. When his wife Akane ran into arms Ken held her tightly yet he still did not know what to feel. Now normally Akane was not overly emotional, but right now she was bawling her eyes out. Her children were gone.

"What do we do now," she sobbed?

"We have faith. Faith that they will find a way back. Until then we do all in our power to find them," he said grimly.

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It was another one of those days for the men and worked for the agency known as NERV. High above, the fortress-city, Tokyo 3, prepared for combat. As the massive buildings that made up the core of the city retracted deep into their protective enclosures others that contained the city's vast armament were being checked and readied. It was said that the defenses of Tokyo 3 could repel any terrestrial aggressor. But the invaders that attack this place are far from terrestrial. As such all the defenses could hope to do was delay any threat that should attack.

Tokyo 3's true defenders were deep below the fortress-city. At the bottom of the massive bowl that Tokyo 3 covered was NERV's Japanese branch HQ. The massive black pyramid looked out over the forested area of the Geofront like some ancient evil. Within and under the structure technicians scrambled to get mankind's saviors ready to face this next aggressor.

For mankind's enemy was not man itself but creatures who have come to Earth in order to bring about the apocalypse. These creatures were given a name by man, Angels. It was written in the Dead Sea Scrolls that there would be seventeen such beings that would descend upon man and see if it was worthy. Each Angel was given a name out of the apocryphal texts. The first was Adam and though it is not widely known it was this creature that brought about a catastrophe known to man as the Second Impact. It was this Second Impact that shifted the Earth's axis and in the process killed over half of her population. Of the Second Angel, Lilith, little is known and it seems as if she is content with staying out of the affairs of man. Fifteen years after the Second Impact the Angel's began their test with the arrival of the Third Angel, Sachiel. After a long battle it was vanquished by man though the victory was not without its share of casualties. Only three weeks later the Fourth Angel, Shamashel, arrived but it too was defeated. Now the fifth messenger, Ramiel, is on its way to test mankind

What you may ask is powerful enough to do battle against these creatures? Only one force in the world is capable of fighting the Angels, mankind's ultimate achievement, the artificial life form Evangelion. At roughly one hundred meters tall these colossal beasts are mankind's only hope. Not only does their size afford them a great deal of strength but the Evangelions also posses the A.T. Field. This energy barrier, also possessed by the angels, protects against any attack and allows the Evas to destroy the Angels.

There is only one drawback to the Evangelions, they require a certain type of pilot. Now with such fantastic weapons one would expect these pilots to be men and women of exceptional talent, people who have been trained rigorously to perform their task. But alas that is not how it is, instead mankind's fate is in the hands of children who have had little training and are woefully ill-equipped to handle life let alone the defense of humanity.

Lack of training and maturity aside these children do their duty. As one of these children, one Shinji Ikari, readies himself for battle others are reading his war machine Evangelion Unit 01. This purple monstrosity was, for the moment, mankind's only hope. His machine ready Shinji reluctantly entered the Eva's entry plug. This was quickly inserted into the Eva's back and filled with a fluid known as LCL. As Unit 01 was moved onto a launch catapult Shinji was briefed on what little the MAGI, NERV's three supercomputers, had been able to gleam about the target.

In NERV HQ's command center, known as Central Dogma, there was an ordered chaos. This was the third angel attack that the crew had gone through and by now everyone had the routine down pat. In the center of this chaos stood Dr. Ritsuko Akagi and Captain Misato Katsuragi. As personnel passed them by the duo barked out orders to their respective subordinates. Just as Misato, in her capacity as operations director, was going to issue the order to launch Unit 01 to the surface, alarms began to ring.

From the darkness of the upper command dais came the steely voice of Gendo Ikari. "Report." If there ever was a man who had despised by his subordinates it was he. It is as if when his wife, Yui, died all those years ago every shred of good that was in him died with her. Now he is a man of dark dealings, concocting a scheme that not even his closest confidantes were not completely aware of.

On the command deck below only one person spoke, Lieutenant Maya Ibuki whose voice rang out over the screaming alarms. "There is a high energy reaction coming from a spot one kilometer above Tokyo 3!" Without any prompting Maya brought up a view of the area in question on the main monitor. To those in Central Dogma it looked like the sky in the area in question was being pushed and twisted. Maya continued to access the MAGI for information, "The MAGI say with two for and one abstaining that the phenomenon is a warp in space."

To say that Dr. Akagi was shocked would be an understatement. The amount of energy needed to cause such a visible warp in space was astronomical. "Is the angel causing the warp?"

One of the other techs with standard access to the MAGI, Shieru Aoba, answered since he had been monitoring the angel the entire time. "Unknown. All data from the Angel stopped the moment the disturbance began. Either the Angel is causing it or it is as in the dark as we are."

On the main screen every one watched as the warp intensified until it exploded in a shower of yellow light. In the space that warp had occupied there was now something floating there. It looked like a giant suit of armor and though scanners said that it was only twenty-five meters tall it seemed to radiate a certain power.

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While those in NERV had been occupied by the disturbance in space and the subsequent visitor a second, more gentle, warp went unnoticed by all. In the evacuated streets of Tokyo 3 no one was there to bare witness to the swirling white light that formed. As the light dissipated it revealed a man holding an oddly shaped staff in one hand and a rather beautiful woman in the other.

As the light faded Makoto Mizuhara realized that he and Ifurita had not been transported to El-Hazard like he had intended. From the look of the architecture around him he knew that he wasn't still on his home world either though the fact that all the signs were in Japanese brought him some measure of comfort. That's when he noticed the large object shaped like a diamond and smaller armored creation that hovered overhead. "What the hell are they?"

Ifurita, who had busy taking in the scenery with a kind of wonder, looked up at what her love was talking about. Though she needed to be wound, now that she was near her Power Key staff Ifurita had enough power to do a scan of the area. "Both objects are shielded and with my minimal power reserves I can not pierce their shielding. But the small object is not from this world."

Makoto looked down at the love of his life, "How do you know? I thought you couldn't scan them."

"I can't, but the abilities I gained form the Eye of God allow me to see dimensional signatures. The smaller one has a rather odd signature that is distinctly different from everything around it."

Makoto looked back up at the armored figure. "So that means it might have been brought here along with us."

"That is a distinct possibility," Ifurita replied. Before she could say anything else her whole body went rigid. For the first time since the Holy Wars of years ago certain defenses had been activated within her.

Feeling his love go stiff Makoto looked down at Ifurita. Seeing the blank look in her unblinking eyes he grew worried. Makoto shook her, "Ifurita! What's wrong?"

It took Ifurita several seconds to register that Makoto had spoke to her. Once she had she saw that Makoto was distraught. She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, "What is wrong?"

"That is what I asked you. You went all stiff and spaced out." Now he really was concerned. Though he hadn't known her long Makoto felt that Ifurita was not the type of person to miss someone talking to her.

"My astral sensors detected an attempted intrusion into what you would call my soul. Some of my dormant subsystems came online to combat the threat. They then detected an intrusion into you and acted accordingly," she stated as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

Makoto though was a little more concerned. It wasn't every day that his soul was under attack. "Astral sensors?"

"Yes. During the Holy Wars there were a select few on both sides that were gifted with devices like the lanterns that the Priestesses of Mt. Muldoon now use. Unlike the lanterns, which manipulate the elements, these devices could allow the user to wage war on a person's soul. It was soon discovered that the devices were effective on the early Demon Gods and the subsequent models were created with sensors and shielding to prevent a Demon God from being compromised."

"Well that explains you but why was I protected?"

"Along with the shielding and sensors the newer models of Demon God, such as myself, were created with a Power Key staff. When the master of the staff wound their Demon God the staff would link master and slave. The master/slave relationship had been in place before but it was determined that the master would be the weak link should an astral attack be launched. With the introduction of the staff it was hoped that the master would be much safer."

"But your obedience circuit was destroyed. You shouldn't have a master." He should know he was the one that destroyed it. With the obedience circuit gone Ifurita was her own woman able to make decisions for herself.

"I don't, but the love that I feel for you is so great that the subprograms regarding defense felt that you are my master," she said with a shy smile and a blush on her cheeks.

Though he was several years older than when he had been first transported to El-Hazard, Makoto got a silly grin at Ifurita's words. He was glad that she had said out loud what had been said so often in their minds but he still remained on track. "I wonder who would attack us like that."

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Deep beneath NERV HQ is a room so huge that it makes the massive Evangelions appear tiny by comparison. In the room there was a large pool of what, on closer inspection, turned out to be LCL. At the center of the pool there rose a giant red cross. Nailed to this cross was a massive creature. From the rudimentary breasts upon her pale white chest one could tell that this creature was female. What her face looked like was anyone's guess as she wore a mask with seven eyes arranged in a triangle. This was NERV's most secret of secrets, this was the Angel Lilith.

On this day Lilith felt the presence of three new souls. Like she had done since first arriving she reached out and tried to incorporate these souls into her matrix. As she reached out for the first two, a man and a woman, she was surprised that they were not children like so many others that she had made a part of her. Upon making contact she was rebuffed, something that had only happened once before. Since she had encountered such a phenomenon before Lilith spent little time pondering its meaning. Instead she went on to the third soul that had just arrived.

As she neared the young man known as Kazuki Yotsuga her way was bared. Unlike the others, whose souls were shielded against her probes, he had a guardian. On this plane of existence form was unnecessary and sometimes got in the way. But for human beings form was critical in how they dealt with one another. As such, whenever Lilith approached a new soul she came in the form of a young woman. This would prove to be her undoing. As she neared Kazuki's soul the young man disappeared. This had never happened before so Lilith "stood" in shock. Kazuki was then replaced by a huge suit of armor. So quick was its movement that before she could react he had her in his metal gauntlet and had Lilith in front of his huge faceplate. Normally this would not be a problem, her realm of interest was the spiritual and in combat here she knew no equal, but as she soon discovered all her skill was for naught. The armor's grip did not loosen the slightest bit instead it increased in response to Lilith's struggling.

Then from all around Lilith came a voice so booming and filled with hate that it made the angel wince. "LITTLE INSECT! HOW DARE YOU COME HERE AND TRY TO STEAL WHAT IS MINE!" From within the armor's faceplate an angry red eye shone out. "COUNT THE DAYS UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. FOR WHEN WE DO I SHALL CRUSH YOU LIKE THE BUG THAT YOU ARE." Then the armor pulled back the arm that was holding Lilith and hurled her back into her body.

As her soul reentered her body it did so most painfully. So great was her pain and fear that for the first time since she came to this world she screamed out as her mask cracked. High above Lilith's chamber Rei Ayanami was watching what was happening in the real world along with the others in Central Dogma. Out of no where she was bombarded by feelings of intense fear and an all-consuming pain. So overwhelmed was she that Rei fell to the ground screaming. One other felt Lilith's pain and that was Evangelion Unit 01. Just as Rei felt everything Lilith did so did it. And like Rei Unit 01 cried out in pain though it sounded more like a roar. Luckily for the people of NERV Unit 01 did not decide to thrash about for if it had it would have taken the catapults with it.

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Countless eons ago in a place far removed from the Earth that Kazuki knew there was a world at war with itself. During the course of the war many fantastic weapons of death were created but as each side created something new the other would create a counter. They had reached a stalemate. So one side decided to create the ultimate war machine, they succeeded. On paper its capabilities were astounding but when they actually got around to building it there were some unforeseen complications. As with all their creations they created this newest engine of death with a soul. Instead of messing with all the timely programming that a robot needs these people created souls and by giving a machine a soul it allowed the pilot to interact directly with it. In this way the pilot actually became the machine. Normally when creating a soul a female one would be created, it was felt that though men were aggressive the female soul in the machine would blunt some of this unnecessary aggression. When they created a soul for this newest weapon of war there was an accident and the soul generated within was male.

When the test pilot, who was a male, brought the machine online for the first time all on the development team were terrified at their creation's power. So scared were they at the power that a male could produce with one of their machines that both sides came to the decision to take men out of the equation. No longer did they use men to pilot their machines. As for the prototype? Well the data on it was placed under deepest security and the machine itself was tucked away. Though they feared it, the prototype's builders knew that it might be needed sometime in the future so it was decided that they couldn't destroy it. And so Project Zinv was sealed and hopefully forgotten.

For nearly two hundred years Zinv slept, confined away, until a little girl changed the course of its destiny. Though Project Zinv had been closed the war was far from over. As time passed more and more engines of death were created and the war began to affect more people. Prior to one particular attack a young woman and her friends were in a city having a good time. While they were they there the opposing side launched a sneak attack on the city. In the ensuing chaos the young woman and her friends got separated. Later she learned that her friends had entered a building to seek shelter and when the building collapsed on top of them they were killed.

The young woman, now a victim of the war like so many others, decided to bring a stop to the war. Not by gaining revenge on those that had killed her friends but by stopping both sides. Though many had tried to stop the war they were not in the unique position that she was. This resourceful young woman was a military researcher and she used all of her resources to find a way to bring a stop to the madness. After a rather exhaustive search through the archives she found what she had searched for. She found Project Zinv.

It was a rather harrowing ordeal and the adventure was not without its share of pitfalls but the young woman had been able to reach the installation where Project Zinv had been locked away. As light once more gleamed off the metallic surface of their ultimate achievement the young woman felt somewhat afraid, after-all there was a good reason why this machine had been locked away for eternity. She did not let this fear stop her and entered Project Zinv's cockpit. This was the part that truly worried the young woman. Would Project Zinv accept her and her quest or would it reject her for being a woman like those that locked it away. To the young woman's delight Project Zinv accepted her and her quest and so the young woman who would be known as D stole Zinv.

After a long trip D and Zinv landed upon a world far removed form their own, unfortunately they had been followed. By the time everyone arrived on this new world hunter and prey were in less than stellar shape. As such D sealed Zinv away once more and she placed herself into hibernation in order to survive her injuries. Both slept for untold years until Professor Ken Sanada found D and made for her a new body. Zinv wasn't reawakened until a young man named Kazuki Yotsuga came to its tomb. Kazuki and Zinv shared a certain characteristic, they both had the same soul. As such Zinv claimed Kazuki as his own and nothing, even the destruction of his body and the merging of two worlds, would keep him from what was his.

Now both he and Kazuki were on a new world. And what should happen upon arriving? Some entity from this world tried to claim his other half and this infuriated Zinv to no end. Tough he did not know where the interloper who tried to steal from him was at, he could tell that the creature before him carried within it the same blood as she who wronged him. And so Zinv's soul cried out for vengeance against this thing that was like the thief.

ooooooooo

As he sat within Zinv's cockpit Kazuki tried to figure out what was going on. All of his readings told him that this was the same place as where the test was at and yet the large city that was below him stood as a silent testament that this was not his world. As this was something that had happened more than once in his life Kazuki was better prepared than others at dealing with the fact that he was on a world not his own. What really boggled Kazuki's mind was the large reflective diamond that hung right outside Zinv. Though something primal within him said that maybe he should be leaving the area where the diamond was Kazuki figured that as long as it was not making any threatening gestures he was all right.

Then out of no where he felt extremely angry. As he looked at the diamond before him Kazuki felt and intense urge to crush it and consign it to the same ether that he sent the artifact to. Since these feelings just appeared out of the blue Kazuki knew their source, Zinv. It was one of the prices you had to pay when you were bonded with something, you felt everything it felt. Though he didn't know why Zinv was so upset, Kazuki did his best to ignore the feeling.

At that moment a sub screen opened up. At the top of the screen there were the words, "Sanada, M. Audio only." After a burst of static Kazuki heard Mitsuki's voice calling out to him, "Kazuki. Kazuki, can you hear me?"

Indeed he did and it made him happy to know that there was someone familiar with him in this new world. "Mitsuki? I hear you. Where are you?"

"Don't worry about that now! You've got to destroy that giant diamond."

Normally he would have asked why he needed to destroy something but this time it seems as if life was going to take the choice out of his hands. Along the edge of the cube Kazuki saw that there was a line of glowing energy forming along the diamond's side. Kazuki had just enough time to bring up Zinv's shields. In an instant the diamond shot out a beam of energy that Zinv's sensors said could destroy him. Luckily Zinv's shield was inactuality a localized warping of space and the beam was forced around the mecha. Seeing that his target was hostile Kazuki gave in to Zinv and channeled his desires into action.

ooooooooo

In Central Dogma everyone watched as this newcomer to the war against the Angels was fired upon. Within moments data was being processed and it was determined that the beam that had been deflected against the unknown element's shield was powerful enough to pierce Evangelion armor. After the Angel's attack the armor reared back and gave off a roar. This roar was accompanied by a large purple pillar of energy that was created around the newcomer and that extended both to the ground and far into the sky above. As they observed the display everyone in the room felt a measure of fear, as it was evident that the audio pickup was not on yet they still heard its roar. In that instant many vowed to make sure that they never got this new guy angry.

Ritsuko rushed over to Maya's station, "Are we recording this?!"

"Yes ma'am. All recorders are on and active." Then another light activated in Maya's console. As she accessed the information she paled. "There is a high gravity field forming between the angel and the new arrival. Gravity field at 50g's and rising rapidly."

While Ritsuko was looking at Maya's display Misato was watching the main screen. Now it appeared as if the newcomer was glaring at the Angel as its arms were extended. Between the two was an ominous black ball that had orange electricity arching about it. As her wide eyes took in everything her left hand unconsciously reached up to squeeze the cross that hung around her neck. Then the truly terrifying happened. Before her eyes the Angel, a symbol of power and terror, began to shake violently. "Look," she called out. Hoping against hope that the images that she was bearing witness to were not real. But this was as real as it got and every soul in Central Dogma was now watching. The Angel's shaking grew more and more violent until, to the shock of all, pieces of it began to break off. As the outer shell of the Angel was sucked into the black sphere the main body began to compress violently. The Angel put up a valiant effort but it was far too late for it. After several seconds of struggle the Angel could take no more and it compressed in a shower of blood. Not a drop of the oddly colored liquid hit the ground as it was promptly sucked into the black ball along with the Angel itself.

The scene that everyone witnessed was so terrifying and out of their sphere of experience that it even shook up the commanders. Standing at his post as Gendo Ikari's right hand man, Subcommander Kouzou Fuyutsuki's only response was a whispered, "Mother of God."

Gendo, though fearful of this newest arrival, was also somewhat angry at it. Everything that had happened up to this point had been predicted and accounted for. But this new arrival was not in any of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Since they had not included this when they had mentioned everything else a small kernel of doubt began to form in his mind to the scroll's accuracy.

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Inside Zinv's cockpit Kazuki felt a measure of satisfaction. He knew that this originated from Zinv himself and he wondered what the now dead diamond did to anger Zinv so. He had little time to ponder this as Mitsuki's voice rang out once more.

"Kazuki. Kazuki! Stop daydreaming and activate Zinv's stealth mode."

It was then that Kazuki realized the situation that he was in. "Oh yeah." With a mere thought Kazuki activated Zinv's "cloaking field" and the twenty-five meter tall war machine vanished with a ripple. As Professors Sanada and Rara studied more about Zinv they learned some more of the machine's tricks. One was to make a localized fold in space to hide in. Essentially Zinv could make a giant pocket in space to hide in. It seems as if Zinv's designers had thought of everything, for this pocket was undetectable by the most advanced sensors the team had been able to devise. The truly amazing thing about the pocket was that once created it was completely self-sustaining. The main problem with using such a pocket was that while certain things could enter, such as certain specially modulated radio waves which the pocket was designed to let in, Zinv could not communicate or interact with the outside world.

Once Zinv was safely tucked away in its protective pocket Kazuki received another transmission from Mitsuki. "Great! Now I'm sending you a map of the area, it will tell you where I'm at." The line went silent for a moment. "Oh and Kazuki. Welcome to Tokyo 3," she said softly. In an instant her normal tone returned, "Now hurry up! It's not polite to keep a lady waiting."

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On the streets of Tokyo 3 Makoto and Ifurita stood speechless at the scene they had just witnessed. Never in their lives had they seen such a display, and Ifurita fought in a world wide war. When the victor in the battle disappeared Makoto looked to Ifurita. Already the woman was scanning the area for any trace of the armor. It took every scanner in her arsenal but finally Ifurita found it on her dimensional sensors. Apparently while the warping used the space that was of this universe the energy used to warp it was not. She pointed to the spot in the air where she saw the energy signature, "There." She then noticed that the signature was now in motion. "It is now moving away."

Though he wanted nothing to do with whatever it was Makoto knew that it might shed some light on why they were all there. "Can you track it?"

"Indeed I can." She then looked a little embarrassed. "But my power reserves are too low to walk any distance."

"But why are you embarrassed? I don't mind winding you. I know you are different but I'll still love you," Makoto assured. He thought that she did not want him to wind her since it make her appear less like a woman and more like some clockwork toy.

In reality that was defiantly not what Ifurita was thinking. "That is not my problem. When you wind me I might start acting aroused."

That made Makoto's eyebrows shoot up so far they ended up on his back. "W-what?!"

"When the ancients of El-Hazard built Demon Gods the first time a new master activated one of us we would feel an intense desire to engage in intercourse with them. It was felt that in doing this the organic components of the Demon God's makeup would be made more subservient. This practice was also done since several Demon Gods acted as consorts and body guards. The more normal one acted the less likely an assassin would take notice." As she spoke Ifurita looked down at the ground in shame. In her long lifetime she had several masters and her programming forced her to service her master's needs. It was the curse of having a mechanically augmented memory, you remembered everything.

Though he was shocked at the notion that the Demon Gods had been used for sex as well as for destruction. The realization that Ifurita had been with other men in the past was a daunting one. Not because he felt she cheated on him but because he did not know if he would be able to compete. This knowledge had also answered a question that had been lurking in the back of Makoto's mind for years, "Could Ifurita and he make love?"

As he looked at his one true love he could see that she was ashamed of herself. His heart broke at seeing her in such a state and he reached out to cup her soft chin in his hands. Makoto lifted Ifurita's head until her tear-filled eyes were looking into his own. "Ifurita listen to me. Let what is in the past stay there. You have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, you were a slave and your body was used against you. So dry your eyes and be happy," he said with a smile. "And don't be embarrassed about getting aroused, because I had hoped we would do that eventually anyway," as he said this Makoto's face grew red.

Ifurita moved one of Makoto's hands from her cheek to her mouth where she kissed it, "Thank you."

"You're more than welcome." Makoto then removed his hands from Ifurita's silken skin and hefted her Power Key staff. "Ready?"

Ifurita gave a slight nod and turned around so her back was to Makoto. As she stood on unsteady she felt Makoto lift the back of her outfit to reveal the one piece of evidence to her mechanical systems, the slot for her Power Key staff. When he inserted the staff into its home her whole body went rigid. As Makoto began to turn her key she felt her bodies' energy reserves increasing. Unfortunately she also felt something else increasing, her arousal. She had had others do the same thing to her in the past and the need had never been as powerful or necessary it was this time. The power of these feelings actually scared her.

When he had turned Ifurita's Power Key staff Makoto felt something impeding any further turning and removed the staff. Holding the staff at his side Makoto noticed that Ifurita's frame was shaking badly. He reached out and placed his hand on Ifurita's shoulder, "Ifurita. Are you okay?"

As Makoto pulled the staff from her Ifurita tried to gain control of her surging hormones. So out of it was she that Makoto's hand drew no response from her, but his voice did. Her head turned slowly to face the source of the voice, as her wide eyes took in the sight of her love something snapped within her. In an instant her sensors were feeding her data about the surrounding area. She quickly found something that met her needs, a thickly forested park. Her destination found Ifurita sauntered up to Makoto, "Makoto dear, I am afraid I have a problem."

Makoto's innate fight or flight instincts were screaming at him to take cover but for some reason his stupid legs were unwilling to move. He was able to work his mouth though, "W w w what seems to be the problem?"

In the time it took him to say that Ifurita had managed to press her body against Makoto's. "You know those urges I talked about?"

"Y yes," he squeaked.

Ifurita's hands traveled up Makoto's body until they reached the area over his chest where they griped the fabric tightly. "I couldn't control them," she deadpanned. With that she flew towards the park while carrying Makoto.

ooooooooo

Getting out of his entry plug Shinji Ikari threw up LCL into the receptacle there to receive the oxygenated fluid. As he stood up he was shocked to see that Misato was standing on the catwalk with a towel in hand. Never in all the times he had exited his Eva had Misato been there. "Misato, why are you here," he asked as he took the offered towel.

"Well I just wanted to make sure that you were all right. What after Unit 01 roaring and all that." That was only a partial truth. Yes she was concerned about Shinji in the wake of Unit 01's unusual behavior. Ritsuko's instruments said that Shinji was fine, but that was the body, Misato was concerned with Shinji himself. Part of this concern was the fact that had the diminutive savior not shown up when it did Shinji might have been the one on the receiving end of the Angel's powerful particle beam. But her true motivations, the real reason that she was standing on the catwalk with Shinji, were completely unknown to her. It just felt right, more right than Misato had felt in many a year.

"So what happened with the Angel," he asked as they began walking away form the Eva cages. All he had been told was that the Angel had been neutralized and that they were returning his Eva to its cage. How it had happened without an Evangelion deployed was beyond him.

At thinking about the images that she witnessed not long ago Misato gave a small shudder. She was a soldier and as such had seen her share of things but not one of them prepared her for the raw power and brutality of what had happened to the Angel. She looked at the young man beside her, "Get changed and then I will show you. It will be better for you to see for yourself."

Shinji did not know what to say about that but he could tell that Misato was shaken by whatever she had seen. Still he did as he said and parted from her so that he could enter the pilot's locker room.

As Shinji walked away Misato found herself in a rather odd situation. For some strange reason she was unable to tear her eyes away from Shinji's plug-suit encased rear.

It was a recently-showered and changed Shinji that found Misato standing outside the pilot's locker room. Her presence there brought the young man short as he had expected her to be in the briefing room. Misato was standing there with a wide-eyed and vacant expression and if his guess was correct she had not moved since she left her. Walking up to Misato he lightly touched her arm.

That little bit of sensory input was enough to pull Misato's mind out of the confused daze that she was in. When she saw that it was Shinji before her she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. It was then that she noticed that Shinji was out of his plug suit and in his regular clothes. "Geeze that was fast Shinji," she stated in amazement. She had just seen him walk into the pilot's locker room and now he was in a completely different outfit.

Shinji looked down at his clothes and then back up at Misato. "Um Misato, I was in there for twenty minutes." It usually did not take him that long to take a shower but he always had to scrub harder and longer after being in his Eva. The smell of blood that came with piloting an Eva was always a bitch to get out.

Though she was shocked at Shinji's revelation Misato hid it well. "Well I decided to wait here and escort you to the briefing room." "I couldn't have been standing there the whole time," she said to herself, "could I?" While she was thinking the pair headed off to the briefing room.

The briefing room was nothing special, just a room with many chairs while the front of the room was taken up by the large screen used to inform pilots of their missions. Shinji took one of the chairs in the front row while Misato walked over to the panel next to the screen that was there for access to the MAGI. After calling up the information she desired Misato sat down next to Shinji. As the room darkened and the screen lit up, Misato paid little mind to the disturbing images that were being displayed but to Shinji's reactions to them.

As he paid witness to the video footage Shinji was amazed that something so small could be so destructive and yet keep the land around intact. While the lights came back up he slowly turned to look at Misato. "That wasn't one of ours was it?"

Misato shook her head, "I doubt it. The way Rit-chan was talking I don't think that anyone on Earth knows how to make anything that can do what it did." Which worried the purple-haired Captain to no end. At least if someone knew something about making ANYTHING like what they saw then there might be a way to combat it should it prove hostile.

"Do you think that it is here to destroy us," Shinji asked with a small amount of fear in his voice. It was just what he needed to fight both the Angels and something that could create a black hole.

"I don't think so. If it was I think it would have done so once it destroyed the Angel." She then plopped back in her seat and laid her arm along the back of the chairs where she ruffled Shinji's hair. "All I can say is that I doubt we've seen the last of it."

ooooooooo

Author's Notes: Well here it is, the first chapter in a new story that I have created. A you may have noticed I have taken three series and put them together. After this chapter I will not be jumping dimensions until the very end. The rest of the story will be taking place in the Eva-verse but as you can see things are already changing. Whether these changes will be for better or for worse will be solely at my discretion.

The part with Shinji getting out of Unit 01 addresses my biggest technical problem with Eva, the LCL. In the series they make it out to be as easy as breathing air but it shouldn't be that way. Any liquid, no matter the Oxygen content is still going to be harder to breath than air. And after someone who is "breathing" a liquid is finished they still have to expel that liquid like in The Abyss.

Fans of Evangelion should know this now though, I have seen EOE and I was not impressed. In fact I think that it was absolutely the best way to screw over an entire series. For me Eva had such potential and that potential was not lived up to. Luckily the creators of Tenchi Muyo realized this potential with Dual and in the process created Zinv.

This is my second work of fiction on the net. If you want to read more by me check out my story The Light Hawk War.

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


	2. Mitsuki’s Adventure

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 1 - Mitsuki's Adventure

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As she sat in the visitors gallery Mitsuki Sanada could not help but feel a little nervous. Since she was the daughter of Ken Sanada she was not lacking in intelligence, as such Mitsuki made sure to study every single bit of the research on the war machine known as Zinv. Seeing as Kazuki was the pilot of the machine so she was determined to learn as much about it as possible. What Mitsuki learned terrified her, not only was Zinv more powerful than anything had right to be but if Kazuki was to believed then it was also alive. The only thing that kept her from telling Kazuki not to pilot that monstrosity was that he assured her that Zinv would never allow any harm to befall him. So here she sat, with her fears kept silent, her fingers crossed, and hoping to any god that was listening that nothing would go wrong. Unfortunately, the gods that listen to Mitsuki's prayers were on a coffee break and so, instead of a peaceful exercise, alarms began ringing. Looking at the screen Mitsuki saw that the floating form of Zinv was glowing yellow. At the same time she felt a tingling that filled every fiber of her being. This could mean only one thing, she was going to go to another dimension. Before Mitsuki could issue and sort of warning a yellow light enveloped her and she was gone.

When the light receded from her vision Mitsuki found herself in a forested area. The hard uncomfortable surface that she was sitting upon told her that she was on a rock. She stood and took a look around and from to tall buildings that surrounded the area Mitsuki determined that she was not in a forest but just a park. This was good news because it meant that she did not have to walk very far to find out where she was. Though a path out of this area was readily apparent decided to take a few minutes to gather herself, "Ok Mitsuki. You're in another dimension. You've got limited funds and nowhere to stay. Let's see, what needs to be done before Kazuki arrives in a month." She held up a hand and used her fingers to tick off the tasks she needed to accomplish. "First I need to get a place to stay. Then I need a job. With a job and a place to live I need to find the parts to build a transceiver so I can contact Kazuki when he gets here." She looked down at her rather formal attire, "At least I'm dressed well for interviews." Her course set, Mitsuki headed towards the path through the trees. It was not a long one and very quickly the forested canopy gave way to a sprawling technological metropolis. At the park's edge there was a news stand from which Mitsuki promptly bought a paper and a map. Ignoring the headlines and stories for the time being she quickly turned to the classifieds. Finding several possibilities for a place to live Mitsuki set off to the first location.

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On this bright and cheery day Lieutenant Seras Victoria stood on a street corner of Tokyo 3 and she was bored out of her mind. She was somewhat upset with her situation. Her family had a long history of police work, it seemed as if every generation of her family found its own reason for being a police officer and Seras was no different. She had been a child during the upheavals of the Second Impact and she paid witness to all the evil that man can do. Her father, a man that loved his job immensely, died protecting her and others during that terrible time. As she stood beside her father's grave Seras vowed that she too would become a police officer so that she could uphold the law and prevent what had happened to her family would not happen to others.

Seras followed through with her vow and became a police officer, a very decorated one at that. Her commendations for valor and meritorious service were numerable and well earned, though they never stopped her from performing her duty. So competent was Seras that she caught the eye of the U.N. and they offered her the "opportunity" to be a member of the police force in Tokyo 3. Since it was the primary defense against the Angel menace it was felt that Tokyo 3 should have a multi-national police and fire-fighting force. That way the world had a hand in defending the defenders.

Of course Seras jumped on the opportunity to do her duty and help protect humanity's protectors. She boarded the first plane to Tokyo 3 and was on her way. When she arrived she found Tokyo 3 far different from the cities in Europe, for starters the place was new. But more importantly the people visibly supported the police. As it was a sprawling new-age metropolis, Tokyo 3 had its fare share of crimes but nothing that could not be handled. All in all Tokyo 3 was a nice place to work and live. That lasted for approximately three weeks. After the first Angel attack the crime rate in Tokyo 3 dropped to virtually zero. It turns out that criminals were smarter than she thought as reports came in from all over Japan that most of the major criminals just up and left. This complete lack of criminal activity made Seras a rather irate woman.

Now, as she stood on some random street corner in Tokyo 3 she seethed in anger at the Angels. Did that stop her from being kind and courteous to civilians? Hell no! It wasn't their fault that the Angels were attacking. She was just left with wishing that the Angels would appear as something a little smaller so she could put a bullet between its eyes. It was these thoughts that were interrupted by someone tapping on her shoulder. Turning to see who wanted her attention Seras saw a young Japanese woman who was wearing some sort of uniform. "Yes. Can I help you," she asked, hoping that she would be able to help this obviously lost young woman.

"I was wondering if you could help me find this address?" The young woman held up a paper opened to the classifieds. Her finger was pointed at one of the ads.

Seras took the paper and looked at where the young woman was pointing. She noticed the address in an instant, it was the apartment complex were Shinji Ikari lived. Handing the paper back to its owner Seras said, "Yes I can. It's not far from here. You just have to," she then proceeded to direct the young woman to her destination.

Once Seras was done the young woman bowed to her, "Thank you officer." And with that she was off.

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With that helpful officer's instructions in mind it took Mitsuki only a handful of minutes to reach the most promising lead in her search for an apartment. The building was large and looked like it was well protected. She went to the area in the back where the apartment complex's superintendent did business. When she got there Mitsuki found a very nervous looking man between thirty and forty. Other than the nervousness the man was well kempt and seemed to be rather friendly. After watching him for several seconds Mitsuki walked up and bowed. "Hello, my name is Mitsuki Yotsuga. I am looking for residence. I was hoping that I might be able to arrange something."

Hiroshi Diajobi jumped up at the voice. There were so few visitors to his apartment complex that a person arriving was a shock. Seeing that this young woman was following some of the old traditions was a welcome thing and he returned her bow. "Welcome Ms. Yotsuga. I'm Hiroshi Diajobi and I'm sure that we can come to some sort off agreement." He gestured to one of the chairs in his office, "Please, take a seat and tell me what kind of accommodations you require."

"Um, that's Mrs. Yotsuga," she said with a blush. Though she loved Kazuki and would like to marry him one day saying that they were married was rather . . . odd. But it was the only way. On her way to this place she thought long and hard on a convincing story that she hoped would garner her some sympathy. "I've come to Tokyo 3 to find a place for my husband and I to live."

Hiroshi then asked the obvious question, "Don't you think you're awfully young to be married?"

Mitsuki nodded her head, "Yes I do. Our parents married us when we were much younger." She then sat back and started on the story that she had fabricated. "You see, our families were friends who, around the same time, grew suspicious of the government and decided to leave civilization. My husband and I were raised away from everything and we would have stayed that way if our parents had not died."

"Oh I'm sorry," replied Hiroshi.

"Thank you," Mitsuki replied with a tear in her eye. "My parents died a year ago and we stayed with his parents until they died last week. He took his parents death hard but he doesn't want me there to see him go through this. So he sent me out so that I could find a place for us away from the paranoia and that shack in the woods."

Hiroshi's heart went out to the young woman before him. Though he had never heard of something like this personally he did know that something like this happened more than less. There were people who had gone into hiding before the Second Impact, some wanted to escape the oppressive and decadent culture of the time for a more simple life. Others were just kooks who feared the government. Then when the Second Impact happened these people go lost in the system. Every now and then people would appear who had no documentation and they all had a similar story to the one Mrs. Yotsuga just told him. Luckily there were systems to help these people and Hiroshi began to pull out some of the forms. "May I call you Mitsuki?"

Mitsuki nodded, "Of course you can. I prefer it that way."

"Okay, Mitsuki these papers are the standard housing papers. All you have to do is fill them out for both you and your husband. Include what information you can. There are programs in place for people in your situation." Hiroshi leaned foreword and pointed at a check mark. "See here, I've red flagged your application. It will be noticed by the proper authorities and you will be sent all the identification you will need."

Mitsuki looked up from the paperwork before her, "Thank you sir. I appreciate this," she said with a soft smile. "But how much will the apartment cost? We don't have much."

Hiroshi smiled wide, "Well then. You're in luck! The apartment costs nothing. You see after the government was finished building Tokyo 3 a good portion of the city was turned over to private interests in order to cover the cost." He gestured around him, "I was able to buy this building from the U.N. As part of the deal I had to leave a floor available for NERV personnel. Where you come in is that as part of the Tokyo 3 economic stimulus package the U.N. pays for several tenants so that they can attract others to come and live here. You're the first to take advantage of this. That is if you want to stay here."

That peaked Mitsuki's interest, usually if someone could get an apartment for free then they jump on the chance. "Why wouldn't I?"

Hiroshi winced, "The Angel attacks have driven most new people away." He knew that this was probably the time that the young woman would get up and walked away.

Mitsuki knew what it was like to live in an area that was embroiled in a war. Since she had to stay in this area to contact Kazuki, Mitsuki had little option to be choosy. "Well I'm not most people," with that she looked down at the papers and continued to fill them out.

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As was its nature the paperwork took a great deal of time but once she was finished Mitsuki was once again walking the streets of Tokyo 3. Now that she had gotten a place to stay for herself and Makoto Mitsuki had another task to complete. The apartment that she had just gotten was free but food and transmitter parts costs money and to get that money she needed a job. Luckily those Angel things had been attacking the city and thus people had left it in droves. This has freed up a lot of space in the city and along with that space went jobs. As such, jobs were in great abundance and the classifieds were chocked full jobs for a young woman. But at the same time a job at the Quickie Mart would not be helpful to her ultimate goals. What she needed to find was a job that would make her lots of money and maybe even give her employee discounts on the goods that she really needed. That in mind Mitsuki headed to the first of the job locations that she had circled ion her paper.

Radiomart was a small shop on the edge of town. The store was but one branch of a large chain of stores that have popped up all over the world. Before the Second Impact it was a small series of stores in the United States. Afterward, the small company was able to capitalize on the world's weakness and snapped up several other companies to form one of the largest monetary powers on the planet. In this new age of technological wonder everyone needed electronics and therefore every village, town, and city had a Radiomart. This was the place that Mitsuki decided would be perfect to carry out her goals of money and tech.

Inside Tokyo 3's Radiomart the owner, one Abe Wayne, was in a state of serious despair. Several minutes ago his last employee quit on him. It seems that the young man's parents did not want to stay in a city that was the site of a major and ongoing war. Now Abe had a serious problem. When he had first moved from North America and opened his shop business had been good. People where moving into the city by the thousands and money was pouring into his business like a waterfall. But then the Angels began their attacks. Instead of flocking to Tokyo 3, the people were migrating away at an extraordinary pace. Unfortunately, while there were still enough people to warrant staying and collecting a profit, Abe's key labor force, teenagers and twenty somethings, were part of the group that were leaving.

As if in answer to Abe's prayers Mitsuki Sanada entered the Tokyo 3 Radiomart. Once the store door closed Mitsuki sighed in relief, it was damn hot out there. In her home dimension Japan got hot in the summer but according to the date at the top of the paper it was in the midst of winter. While she was recovering fromm the heat a tall, lanky man came walking up to her with a smile on his face. Before he could speak Mitsuki introduced herself with a bow, "Hello. I'm Mitsuki Yotsuga. I'm looking for the manager about this job," she said as she pointed to the classified section of the paper.

The smile on Abe's face grew huge at that piece of information. Not only was this young lady attractive, a definite plus, but she was courteous and looking for a job. "Well you're in luck young lady. I just so happen to have several key positions open. What exactly can you do?"

"Well I can use a computer, so any work on that I should be able to do. And my father was a real electronics wiz. I guess I could do anything you need me to do," she finished with a smile.

Abe clapped his hands together in joy. "Excellent! Let's see about getting you a job."

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Several hours later Mitsuki left the Radiomart with a smile on her face and money in her purse. You see, in an effort to keep Mitsuki working for him as long as possible, Abe had made some concessions. Mitsuki would work six hours a day and at the end of her shift she would get a check for the days wages, which were exceedingly high. Along with that she would receive a thirty percent employee discount on whatever she wanted in the store. A good thing, as it had all the parts she would need to build the transceiver to contact Kazuki upon his arrival.

After a quick stop at the local food mart for supplies Mitsuki made her way to the place she would call home in this new dimension. As she made her way to her apartment Mitsuki saw that a piece of paper was tapped to her front door. Upon further inspection she saw that it was a note, addressed to her.

Hello Mr. and Mrs. Yotsuga,

My name is Misato Katsuragi and I'd like to welcome you to your new home. If you'd like some company come up to the apartment right above you for a party celebrating your arrival. The party is from 7 till ?.

Hope to see you there,

Misato Katsuragi.

Mitsuki stared at the note for a few seconds before she tore it down and put it in one of her bags. As she pulled the note down she saw that Mr. Diajobi had already placed a nameplate with her name next to the door. "Well that explains how this Misato knew our name. But I wonder why she was so quick in inviting me?" She shrugged her shoulders and used her key card to open the door. "At least I don't have to cook tonight."

Upon entering her apartment Mitsuki found it to be fully furnished, something that shocked her greatly. As she walked past the dinner table Mitsuki found a second note addressed to her.

Dear Mitsuki,

As you've probably noticed your apartment comes fully furnished. I forgot to inform you of this at our meeting and I am sorry. Do not worry there is no extra charge for the furniture. I only ask that you tell others about this place, especially if they are in the market. The more tenants living here the better.

Respectfully yours,

Hiroshi Diajobi

"That's perfect. Now I don't have to worry about buying all that stuff." Placing the letter back on the table, Mitsuki continued on into the kitchen to put her food away. The task took several minutes and when she was finished she saw that it was five minutes till seven. If she was going to the party she would have to go now in order to be on time. After a quick side trip to the bathroom, Mitsuki was out the door and heading for the elevator. As she waited for the piece of machinery to reach her floor Mitsuki inspected her clothing. Her dress, the same one that she had been wearing all day, was still in good condition despite all the walking and working and was in perfect condition for a party. At the same time though, Mitsuki made a mental note to wake up early tomorrow so she could buy some cloths for herself. The dress was comfortable and all but she couldn't wear it the whole time she was going to be in this world. However long that was going to be.

As the clock hands turned seven Mitsuki knocked on the Katsuragi door. Several seconds later the door opened to reveal a young man, his dark blue eyes were filled with sadness. This startled Mitsuki, as she had never seen such a look on one so young. It was if he had the weight of the entire world on his shoulders and at the same time had to bear that burden alone.

While Mitsuki was shocked so was the young man before her, as his wide eyes attested to. "Um. May I help you?"

"Yes you may. I'm Mitsuki Yotsuga," she replied with a bow. "I received a letter from a Miss Misato Katsuragi inviting me to a party. Is this the right place?" At that Mitsuki produced the note she had taken from her door and handed it to the young man.

He looked at it for several seconds before shaking his head. "I wish she would have told me about this," he muttered. Looking up from the letter the young man did his best to smile. "Um you've come to the right place." He then returned Mitsuki's bow with one of her own. "My name is Shinji Ikari. Pleased to meet you." Shinji took a step back and to the side. With an outstretched arm he gestured for Mitsuki to enter. "Please, come in."

Mitsuki smiled at the young man, "Thank you." With that she walked into the apartment and was immediately struck with how clean it was. Never in all her years of caring for her father had she gotten her home as clean as this place was. "Wow. It's so clean."

Shinji walked up beside her with his head bowed. "Uh thank you ma'm."

"Please don't call me that. You make me sound like an old maid," Mitsuki said with a smile. That was what had to do with these types. The instant Shinji began talking Mitsuki knew what kind of person she was dealing with. In her life she had met one or two people like Shinji and she knew how to deal with them. For starters you had to make them as comfortable as possible and then you needed to show them that you could be a friend, for that was something that people like Shinji had in short supply. Thus all the smiling. Something had happened to this boy, something that had created in him a sadness deeper than any ocean. She knew without a doubt that this young boy could not go on like this and she added his well being to the list of things that she needed to do while she was in this world. "Just call me Mitsuki. Okay?"

Seeing her friendly attitude caused Shinji to return her smile with one of his own, though it was a small one. "Um, would you like to have a seat? I'm afraid that Misato left about ten minutes ago. She said something about snacks and beer. Since that's what she usually eats I had no idea about any party."

"It isn't a problem. I just arrived here and I really didn't want to cook."

"You moved to here? Why," Shinji asked in shock. "Don't you know about the attacks?" The way that people have been leaving the city it was a surprise to hear about someone actually wanting to live in Tokyo 3.

Mitsuki waived off his concern, she had talked to Abe about these attacks and it seemed similar to the ones made by the Rara Army. The only difference here was that there was little to no warning in the event of an attack. But warning or no she had a mission and she would carry it out, come hell or high water. "Don't you worry about me. I've had my share of chaos." Wanting to change the topic Mitsuki leaned towards Shinji and gave Shinji an evil grin. "Soo Shinji. Tell me something. You and Misato must be pretty close. After all those are a pair of panties right next to you."

Shinji looked to his right and sure enough there was a pair of Misato's underwear. As he did all the laundry he knew that it was one of her more expensive pairs that she saved for special occasions. But he really couldn't really think of a time recently that she would have needed them. Without thinking he quickly tucked the silky piece of material into his pocket. "Um I guess we are," he replied with a mild blush.

Seeing the blush made Mitsuki's smile turn all that more evil. She smelled blood in the water and went in for the kill. "Is she your sister?"

At that Shinji felt a surge of wrongness, as if he couldn't think of his roommate as a sister. "No, she's my roommate."

The loss of color in Shinji's cheeks coupled with the look of mild disgust confirmed what Mitsuki suspected, this kid liked Misato. "So you live with a beautiful woman. You must be real popular at school."

"Yeah I guess," said Shinji with a sigh. It was true. As soon as his classmates found out that he lived with a beauty like Misato all the guys spoke of their envy for him, and begged him for all the information about the purple-haired Captain. Some of what they had asked was rather personal and though he knew the answer to some he did not answer. "But she's only letting me live with her because we work together," he added. For Shinji, no one really wanted to be with him, those that did just wanted something from him.

""Damn he's got it bad,"" Mitsuki thought to herself. When she had first met Kazuki he had a similar out look on life as the young man before her. The visions of the other world had gained him a measure of notoriety. At the same time though people used his eagerness to discuss his visions to ridicule him. So, he tried to keep to himself and wrote of what he saw. Over time though Kazuki learned differently, that there were people that wanted to know him for who he was. Once that happened he became an unstoppable hero. Now, as Mitsuki remembered the moment when she had first looked into Shinji's blue orbs she saw the thing that Kazuki had, only buried deeper. "I think that you are wrong."

This gave Shinji pause. "What do you mean," he asked as he looked at Mitsuki.

"Shinji, a woman just doesn't leave her underwear around for every man to see. If Misato is doing it then that means that she wants you around." With a sigh Mitsuki moved closer to the young man and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Let me tell you something about the man I'm married to. When I first met Kazuki he was a lot like you. But while everyone else laughed at him something about Kazuki just drew him to me. He seemed to sense that I was different than all the rest and because of that I was able to see a side of him that few even knew was there. As I got to know him more he was faced with many trials but at every step he overcame them and got stronger. Do you know what the difference is between you and him are?"

Shinji shook his head in wide-eyed amazement. To think, someone like himself was happy and able to get a woman as beautiful as Mitsuki to love him.

"You don't have someone to believe in you. Maybe Misato could be that person," Mitsuki finished with a smile. She saw that Shinji was thinking over her words and in her welled a sense of accomplishment. The seeds had been planted now all she had to do was give them water from time to time.

As Shinji sat motionless on the couch his mind was ablaze with thought. When he had first met Misato he had considered the possibility that Mitsuki had proposed but he soon dismissed it. After all, who would want him? He didn't have much time to think though as the sound of the apartment door opening heralded the arrival of Misato.

"Shinji," the woman yelled. "I'm back! Come help me with the supplies for the party!"

When the woman that she guessed to be Misato walked into view Mitsuki saw the look of displeasure cross her face. Thinking about what she and Shinji probably looked like Mitsuki removed her hand from Shinji's shoulder and backed away. Mitsuki had seen that look all to often on Yayoi's face and she knew that it had appeared on her own face on multiple occasions. It was the look of a woman who saw their man being poached on by another woman. Luckily it seemed as if her removing herself from Shinji was the right move for the look on Misato's face changed to a more greeting one.

"Well hello. I guess you are MRS. Yotsuga," the emphasis on the Mrs. was quite clear. "You're here early."

Shinji got up to help Misato with the bags she was carrying. "Actually she got here on time Misato," he said softly.

Turning to look at the wall clock she saw that she was indeed late and grimaced in embarasment. "Sorry. I remembered the note about three minutes before the party."

Mitsuki shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It just gave me the opportunity to get to know Shinji."

As Misato watched Shinji approach she caught a glimpse of her panties in his right pocket. When he got close enough to hear her whisper Misato said, "You know if you wanted my panties then you've could have asked."

Hearing that Shinji blushed a deep crimson and looked down to his pocket and saw a bit a pink poking out. He quickly pushed the garment deeper into his pants and took the bags from Misato.

With Shinji out of the room Mitsuki walked over to Misato and whispered, "You don't have to worry. I'm happy with what I have."

Misato was not one to embarrass easily but that got a blush from her. But at the same time she held out her hand to Mitsuki as she felt that the young woman was telling the truth. "Hi. I'm Misato." She then remembered that Mitsuki was married so that was probably why she claimed to be no threat. The thought that wives do cheat on their spouses was in her mind though so Misato vowed to keep an eye on her. After all she didn't want Shinji to get hurt.

Mitsuki took the outstretched hand and shook it. "I figured as much," she replied wryly. "Mitsuki Yotsuga."

As she remembered that Mitsuki was married Misato looked for the young woman's husband. Not seeing him she asked, "Where's your husband?"

"Kazuki," Mitsuki asked. "He's taking care of some our affairs. He should be here in a month. I just went ahead to set things up."

"Must be hard to be in a new city by yourself," commented Misato.

"Actually I'm getting used to it," Mitsuki replied cryptically. "It gives me the opportunity for some me time."

"Well that's always a good thing," Misato answered knowingly. That was one of the good things about having Shinji as a roommate, he really didn't intrude much. Having enough of the small talk Misato wanted to get this party started. Besides, something told her that Mitsuki was hiding something and she knew that some alcohol might loosen the young woman's tongue "Shinji! What's taking you so long! We've got a party to start," she yelled with a smile.

Though Misato was smiling, Mitsuki was starting to feel unsure of herself. The alibi that she had created for herself and Kazuki had no real proof and if she got too inebriated she might end up spilling the beans.

ooooooooo

It seems as if luck had been on Mitsuki's side that night as nothing about her true life was revealed. Several times during the night she thanked Yayoi for the parties that she had held. While they weren't often, and usually an excuse to get her mitts on Kazuki, it helped Mitsuki build up a tolerance to alcohol. Not much of one though, for the next day she awoke to the dubious honor of a hangover.

Despite the hang over, Mitsuki knew that there was work to be done so after a light breakfast she headed out to continue her preparations for Kazuki's arrival. The first stop on her list was a nearby clothing store where she purchased some relatively inexpensive, yet functional, clothes. Nothing high fashion, she didn't have the funds, but it would do for now. Next, she headed to a local bank, where she opened an account and placed what was left of her earnings into it. Once again it seemed as if there was someone watching out for her, as she was able to get an account with a rather high interest rate, a publicity stunt by the bank to attract more customers. By the time she was done it was off to Radiomart where she worked for the next six hours and sold something to nearly every customer who came in. As she headed home Mitsuki carried a bag from Radiomart that was filled with various tools that you would find on some workbench, her first step in building a transmitter. Later she made dinner for herself and her neighbors from upstairs. During which she was able to talk to Shinji more and continue on her quest to get the boy to open up more.

The next month was spent in much the same way; only the main chore that Mitsuki had to perform was the actual building of the transmitter. It helped that she was a very clean person and she only ate dinner in the apartment every other day. When she didn't eat at her new home she was upstairs with her friends Shinji and Misato. On that front work was progressing, albeit slowly. By the end of the month Shinji could talk to most people without looking at the ground and he seemed a bit more comfortable in his existence. All in all the month in the new universe was rather uneventful. In fact the only real problem that she had was finding a place big enough to hide Zinv when it arrived. For the entire month Mitsuki looked everywhere for a place to store the robot, but alas she found nothing.

Then, three days before Kazuki was to arrive the gods of luck smiled on Mitsuki once more. At the edge of Tokyo 3 a millionaire was selling his private warehouse. Apparently he had thought that the city would be an excellent investment, and then the Angels came. Now, with everyone and their brother getting out of dodge the profit really didn't warrant the liability of having any assets in the area. So he had been slowly selling off all his Tokyo 3 property. When Mitsuki came to look the place over the man had been rather generous and agreed to give her the deed now if she paid him his asking price gradually until it was completely paid off. Mitsuki quickly agreed as the place was perfect for storing Zinv. The building was actually an indoor helicopter landing pad. The roof of the building was able to open and close, so now they could hide Zinv and no one would be the wiser.

Finally the day came when Kazuki would arrive. On that day Mitsuki made her way over to the warehouse and hooked up the power to the transmitter. As it neared the time for him to appear Mitsuki made her way up to the building's roof so that she could know exactly when Kazuki showed up. Unfortunately, at the same time as she was making the final preparations an alarm sounded. All around the bottom of the building Mitsuki could see that people were fleeing. "It must be an Angel attack," she reasoned. "It's a good thing that Kazuki is coming. I doubt that anything can beat Zinv." As she sat in her lawn chair Mitsuki waited for both her angel and The Angel to arrive. The Angel was the first and it was huge. Yes the core robots had been large and Zinv even larger than that but his thing was larger that the dreaded Himiko, though this monstrosity didn't have the flair of that horror.

From her spot on the roof, Mitsuki watched as the weapons of man were hurled at the creature only to be stopped by a hexagonal shield. It seemed as if nothing could stop the diamond shaped beast while it flew slowly to a point near the city center. With the binoculars that she had purchased to find Kazuki, Mitsuki saw a great drill extend out from the bottom-most point of the Angel. Finally, as the drill began to chew up the asphalt beneath the Angel, the air began to distort and Mitsuki could feel her being twist with reality. She had experienced this before, each time that Kazuki would arrive she would feel odd. It was as if something was warning her that Kazuki was about to appear. And sure enough, the instant the feeling vanished Zinv winked into existence.

Like some war god of ancient legend Zinv floated mightily over the fortress-city of Tokyo 3. For several seconds Mitsuki just sat in her chair, her eyes watering at the sight of her Kazuki's great chariot. Soon though, she remembered the radio and picked it up. "Kazuki," she called into the microphone. "Kazuki, can you hear me?"

From the small piece of plastic and circuitry came the most welcome voice of Kazuki Yotsuga. "Mitsuki? I hear you. Where are you?"

Hearing that sweet voice almost caused Mitsuki to break down in tears, but she was able to hold herself together. There were lives at stake and she knew without a doubt that Kazuki and Zinv would be able to vanquish this beast. "Don't worry about that now! You've got to destroy that giant diamond." Once this most recent foe was bested there would be time for words, now though it was time for action.

As if it had heard her Mitsuki's words and knew that danger was near, the edge of the Angel began to glow. Once its glow reached its brightest, a beam of energy lanced out towards Zinv. But the machine was not to be defeated so easily and it protected itself with a shield of warped space. It seemed as if the Angels actions had angered Zinv for it gave a mighty roar as it parted the heavens in a burst of purple fire. Then it began to do something that brought terror to every fiber of Mitsuki's being. Zinv was a master of gravity and today, on this field of battle; he showed that mastery as he performed the same attack that had completely destroyed the artifact ship. In a shower of blood and gore the Angel was destroyed, only to be pulled into the void that Zinv formed between his hands.

Once Zinv had finished its work it just floated above the city, not moving, not roaring, it did nothing but float. This inactivity brought a spark of anger to Mitsuki's mind. It was just like Kazuki to sit around and daydream after killing such a creature. "Kazuki. Kazuki! Stop daydreaming and activate Zinv's stealth mode." After such a display Kazuki needed to hide Zinv, the authorities of this world would surely want to get their hands on the machine and the man whom piloted it. As with the other times that Zinv's cloak was activated the machine's form wavered and then faded. But to Mitsuki's eyes Zinv was merely faded, not invisible. Had she not heard from others that when this happened the machine completely vanished Mitsuki might have thought something was wrong. Now, as with those other times, she simply pondered why she could see it where other could not.

With Zinv hidden from those who would seek it out, the time had come for Kazuki to be reunited with Mitsuki. Now her long finger flew across the computer terminal as Mitsuki entered the coordinates for the warehouse into its memory banks. "Great! Now I'm sending you a map of the area, it will tell you where I'm at." At that she pressed the enter key and sent the data to Kazuki so he would know where to go. Then some of the joy that she felt caused her to speak out, "Oh and Kazuki. Welcome to Tokyo 3." It was then the part of her that was not ready to fully reveal what she felt for him made her add, "Now hurry up! It's not polite to keep a lady waiting."

Mitsuki did not have to wait for Kazuki long, for a minute after she sent the coordinate the air above her was disturbed by Zinv's flight. As soon as it was above her Mitsuki opened the door to the warehouse and the machine entered to slumber once more. Once Zinv was in Mitsuki closed the door and the rushed down the stairs to greet the man that she had waited for all this time. By the time she had reached the bottom of the stairs Kazuki had already exited Zinv and was looking around for her. The instant Mitsuki's foot touched the floor Kazuki's eyes turned and met her own. He was about to greet Mitsuki but she did not give him the chance as she ran to him and hurled herself into his arms.

It was done. All her hard work. All her sleepless nights. All of it had been in preparation for this singular instant, this perfect moment. Now her Kazuki was with her and no mater the length of their stay it did not matter for they were once more together. Words could not express the joy she felt in that moment so she did all that she could, she sobbed into her love's shoulder.

Of all the greetings that he had expected from Mitsuki, crying in his arms was not on Kazuki's list. She had always been the strong one of the women after his heart. Sure she expressed her emotions, a good deal of which was varying degrees of anger, but she always seemed to have a steady hand with them. Now though, it was as if all her controls had gone off line and her emotions were running her. ""She must have had it bad this last month,"" Kazuki thought to himself. "There, there Mitsuki. It'll be okay, I'm here now," he said soothingly.

Whether it was Kazuki's words or his rubbing of her back but Mitsuki quickly recovered from her crying fit and she parted from the young man. As she stepped back Mitsuki rubbed the last of the tears away, "Thanks Kazuki. I guess not seeing a familiar face for a month really got to me."

"So there are no doubles in this universe," Kazuki asked.

Mitsuki shook her head. "Not that I've been able to find." It was then that she realized that Kazuki was standing in his flight suit. After the two worlds merged all the flight suits along with the Core Robots were not present. So when Zinv re-appeared there was once more a need for Kazuki to have a protective suit. When Ken Sanada designed the original suits he had done so with females in mind, Kazuki's old suit had merely been a masculine version of the female ones. Kazuki's new suit, the one he was wearing now, was far more fitting for the pilot of Zinv. As such, it was gray and patterned after the massive robot. The problem with the suit was that you couldn't just wear your normal clothes underneath. Instead you wore something akin to a tracksuit and that would stand out a bit on the streets of Tokyo 3. Luckily this was not a problem as Mitsuki brought clothes with her for Kazuki to change into. "Wait here for a sec okay. I've got some clothes for you"

"Sure. I'll be waiting." With that Kazuki leaned back against Zinv as he watched Mitsuki run off. While she was gone he pondered the ramifications of the absence of any dimensional doubles in this universe. He had spoken to Dr. Sanada on several occasions about the theories concerning multiple dimensions. According to him the sister universes were the result of a deviation in a singular instant. One path led to the creation of the Core Robots while the other allowed for the birth of Kazuki. Ken had gone on to explain that other dimensions occur when a different event deviated, the larger the difference between universes usually meant that the deviation occurred that much later in the past. For there to be no doubles here along with the presence of large creatures such as the one he had recently dispatched meant that this universe had split off very early on. Any further musings were cut short as Mitsuki reappeared with a brown paper bag.

"Here Kazuki. I hope you like them," Mitsuki said with a smile as she handed the bag to Kazuki.

Taking the bag from the young woman, Kazuki saw that it was filled with clothes for him. "Thanks Mitsuki!" Without thinking Kazuki deactivated his suit.

Seeing this made Mitsuki blush in embarrassment. "Kazuki!"

The young man stopped what he was doing and looked at Mitsuki. "What?"

"You can't do that here. Go around to the other side of Zinv," to emphasize her words Mitsuki pointed in the direction that she wanted him to go in.

Finally realizing what he was doing Kazuki blushed. "Right! Sorry." With that he quickly ran off to fulfill Mitsuki's decree.

As he ran off Mitsuki sighed and leaned against the gray metal skin of Zinv. "I swear he's just like daddy. I wish they would think things through a little more." In many ways Ken Sanada and Kazuki were very similar. Though Ken was far more intelligent than Kazuki they both shared the same slovenly lifestyle. ""Perhaps that is why I feel the way I do,"" she thought to herself dreamily. ""After all, they do say that girls grow up to marry men like their fathers."" Her goofy expression then morphed to one of annoyance, ""Though I do wish he would clean himself up a bit more."" As soon as Mitsuki thought that Kazuki came walking around the edge of Zinv. ""See. That's what I mean.""

When Kazuki had clothes before the worlds merged he had been able to pick out what he wanted. Unfortunately, this meant that his clothes were not that stylish, mostly uniforms and such. Now though, Mitsuki bought all of Kazuki's clothes ahead of time and like her original mother she has a keen eye for fashion. As such Kazuki's clothes were now up to Mitsuki's standards. Currently he was wearing a pair of lose cargo pants, a shirt that showed off his sturdy musculature, and over this was a long suede jacket. All in all Kazuki looked very handsome. Though he looked handsome he also appeared to be very uncomfortable. "Mitsuki, do I have to wear this? It doesn't feel right."

Sigh. "You'll have to get used to it for now Kazuki. Back at the apartment I've got some clothes that you would like. I had just hoped that you would have preferred these once you tried them." ""Damn! Looks like it's his regular clothes from now on."" It had been Mitsuki's hope that she could change Kazuki's dressing habits but it looks like the young man was standing firm.

That seemed to stop Kazuki's fidgeting. "Thanks Mitsuki. I know how much you don't like the way I dress. It's just this is not my idea of comfort."

"I know Kazuki. It's my fault for trying to change you. I'll just have to except that." While she was disappointed there was a part of Mitsuki that was happy about Kazuki's stubbornness. Most of her life she had had to make the decisions around the house. While she really didn't mind, it played to her need for control; she wanted someone who was willing to make some decisions for themselves. Even if they were the wrong ones.

Deciding to change the subject Kazuki said, "So, you've got an apartment?"

"Uh huh. I sure do. It was the weirdest thing though. I got the thing for free."

That shocked him, "For free! How."

Mitsuki walked over and grabbed Kazuki's arm. "Come on. I'll tell you on the way." The next ten minutes were spent walking towards the apartment Mitsuki rented. As they walked Mitsuki regaled Kazuki with tales of her adventures during the last month.

At one quiet point in Mitsuki's tale Kazuki took a moment to look around. The city was, for the moment, empty. Quite frankly the size of the city coupled with the fact that nothing in the valley, not even the animals, was making any sort of sound seemed rather creepy. "This place really is giving me the creeps," he said with a shiver.

"It's not just the lack of people, Kazuki," Mitsuki replied quietly as her eyes darted from left to right. "The whole time I've been here I've had the feeling that I'm being watched."

"You don't think the government knows about us do you," he asked in alarm.

Mitsuki shook her head sharply. "I've felt like this from the instant that I arrived. The feeling is similar to what I get when I'm around Zinv. But instead of it being comforting its more like something is waiting for my guard to go down so it can pounce."

"Don't worry Mitsuki," Kazuki replied brightly. "With Zinv and I here nothing can hurt you," the confidence he had in his ability to keep Mitsuki safe rang true and clear in Kazuki's voice.

Kazuki's words did was he had intended and Mitsuki's demeanor instantly became a happier one. "You're right! So. What do you want for dinner?"

"Well I was thinking..," he started.

"Steak would be the best thing," Mitsuki replied in answer to her own question. "After all, it's not every day you show up from another dimension. I know beef is expensive, but I feel like celebrating." As she had spoken Kazuki had come to a halt while Mitsuki had continued on with her plans. After a few moments she realized that her arm was no longer warm and looked for her companion. Behind her, Mitsuki saw Kazuki standing speechless. "What?"

As Mitsuki had gone on about what she was going to cook that night Kazuki could only stand in silence. This was something that she did from time to time. She would ask him what he wanted for a meal only to continue on declaring that she would cook something completely different from what he would normally eat. Of course he really couldn't blame her, his idea of a perfect meal was a bowl of ramen noodles. For her to do the same thing in this world, where she had admitted to being uncomfortable, meant that not everything was all bad. Seeing Mitsuki's confusion Kazuki could only smile and shake his head. "Nothing. Steak sounds great. But you're paying, Miss Lucky."

"Well of course I am," she said haughtily. "It's the job of us upper class to better the lives of you little people." Mitsuki then held out her hand daintily, "Now escort this noble woman to her home."

Kazuki's smile only grew wider. It was at times like these that it was readily apparent that Mitsuki was Ayuko's daughter. She could call up that same smug sense of superiority that Ayuko sported regularly. With all due seriousness Kazuki bowed low towards Mitsuki, "It would be this knight's honor madam."

When Kazuki stood up Mitsuki saw the big-ass grin that he was wearing and the laughter that she was holding in just escaped violently. The next few minutes saw the pair rolling around on the ground laughing loudly and joyfully. It was one the few times that the streets of Tokyo 3 rang with such pure and unfettered laughter. Finally though their merriment had to come to an end and Mitsuki's laughter trailed off. "Ha ha. Oh God Kazuki, I haven't felt this good for a while."

"I'm glad I could help. Now let's get going," he said as he held his arm out for Mitsuki.

Mitsuki took the arm in her own and nodded smartly. "Right!" Several minutes later saw the pair standing outside of the apartment that she was renting. But as she was about to slide the keycard through the slot Mitsuki paused and turned towards Kazuki with a blush on her cheeks. Mitsuki had just remembered a certain part of the cover story that she told the apartment manager along with Misato and Shinji. "Um Kazuki. There's something you should know. When I was filling out the paperwork to get this place I wrote that we were married." With that Mitsuki turned and opened the door, as she really didn't want to face Kazuki at the moment.

For his part Kazuki stood rooted in place, his mouth hung open comically. All that was going through his mind was one word, married. Finally, after several seconds of just standing that thought reached the surface. "M. M. Married! What is with you Sanadas?"

That caused Mitsuki to turn and look at Kazuki. "What do you mean?"

Kazuki walked closer to Mitsuki and did not even notice the door closing behind him. "I mean that this is the second time I've shown up in a place only to find out that I'm married to you."

"Is that such a bad thing," she asked with a tiny bit of hurt in her voice.

"No, it isn't," Kazuki softly replied. "I just wish you were a little more original," he added with a smile. "So, do you have a big book of my biography set up?"

Mitsuki shook her head. "No I didn't really have the time," she said apologetically. "Luckily I really didn't talk much about you. And everything that I did say was just a slight change in your normal history. For now though, there is something else that we need to discuss."

"What's that?"

"Our bedroom," Mitsuki replied quietly as she looked away from Kazuki.

"Our bedroom," Kazuki repeated flatly.

"Yes. Come on, I'll show you what I mean." At that she turned and made her way to the master bedroom.

When Kazuki took in the room that he and Mitsuki supposedly would share he could tell that she had put some effort in to make it look like a combination of their tastes. Instead of a futon there was a large bed. On wall was a large bookshelf with a mix of titles that both would enjoy. And all over there were touches that spoke of a young couple just getting together and having decided that the female half of the couple would decorate. "It looks nice."

"I tried not to make it too girly. After all you are supposed to sleep here too."

"You really want me to sleep here in the same bed as you," Kazuki asked in embarrassment.

"It would be the most convincing," Mitsuki replied. When she saw Kazuki's look of confusion she clarified. "Over the last month I've been having the people above us over for dinner about every other night. One of them seems to be a tad bit suspicious of me. I figure that if we act as much like a married couple as possible she'll have less to suspect." It was weird. On one hand she really wanted to share a bed with Kazuki. On the other hand she was scared stiff. And on the other hand there was the knowledge that what she wanted to do would have made her furious if it was Yayoi or the other Mitsuki who was doing it. That was a lot of hands. Finally after several seconds of silence on both of their parts Mitsuki's embarrassment and self doubt won out and said, "You don't have to if you don't want to. There are other rooms and there are futons if you want to sleep in here but not in the bed." At that all her will to say anything just kind of left.

Kazuki just stared at Mitsuki in open-mouthed shock. Here was a woman who was always in control. She could manipulate some of the strongest willed people and make it look easy. Now though she seemed so unsure of herself. It was as if a part of her wanted this yet another was angry that she wanted it. What ever she felt Kazuki knew that Mitsuki had gone off on a limb here and the wrong word could snap it. So he took a good hard look at everything and asked himself one question, ""Is this something that I want to do for the next while?"" And there was only answer that seemed right to the young man, "Yes."

Now it was Mitsuki's turn to be shocked. She had been sure that he would refuse. "What?"

"I said yes. But I'll do it under one condition." Mitsuki's questioning look was all the prompting that Kazuki needed. "You can't get upset if my hand ends up someplace it shouldn't be."

That got a smile out of Mitsuki. "I think I can live with that. The same goes for you okay."

"Right."

Ding Dong

"I wonder who that could be," Mitsuki asked in surprise. "Shinji and Misato shouldn't be by," she muttered as she headed for the front door.

Ding Dong

From out side came a muffled male voice, "You only have to press it once."

"But they did not answer," replied a female voice. "Perhaps they did not hear it the first time."

Mitsuki sighed in exasperation, "I'm coming!" A second later Mitsuki got to the door and opened it. What she saw on the other side surprised her. Two oddly dressed people were standing before her and they definitely were out-of-towners. The lady had long bluish gray hair and though her face was almost ghostly pale she seemed to be filled with a great strength. She wore a dark short-sleeved jacket that was held together at the waist and open at the chest to display her rather ample assets. The rest of her arms were covered by a pair of long black gloves, one of which had attached to it a long flowing tassel. Below the jacket she wore a pair of light blue tights decorated with gray areas and black slippers upon her feet. In her right hand she carried a large ornate staff, the end of which looked like a giant axe. Though her companion was plainer, what with the kindly brown eyes and the shaggy brown hair, he was dressed oddly nonetheless. He wore a white robe that extended well below his waist and underneath he wore a pair of loose white pants. Where these ended a pair of simple shoes began and the entire outfit looked quite comfortable. The odd thing about him was that while his companion's clothes were spotless his had grass stains in several places. It was also plainly obvious that these two people were a couple as the man had his arm around the woman's waist and she was slightly leaning in towards him.

Upon seeing who opened the door the woman gasped and pointed at Mitsuki. "That's one of them!"

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Authors Notes: Well that's it. The end of another chapter of Converging Paths. I would like to thank those who have written to me in order to give their praise of my work. It is always good for an author to know that people are actually reading, and more importantly enjoying, their work. This chapter flowed pretty easily and I hope the rest flows as easily. My readers should know that next I will go back to writing No Life Queen. What I may do is write a chapter every other month. It might make things go slower but those interested in this story will not have to wait until my other one is finished. But I can make no promises as I also have school and a book to work on.

As you may have noticed I have dropped hints that Misato and Shinji like each other and I have to say that is the pairing I'm going with. Rei is effectively Shinji's half sister. Asuka is a stuck up bitch whose sole purpose in the show is to bring down Shinji's psyche. And I wasn't really going to come up with a new character just to pair up with Shinji when there was a perfectly good Misato laying there to be paired up. So I am. Now don't think that this is going to be easy. They both have issues and Misato is older than Shinji by a significant degree. But don't worry, I have everything under control. As you have seen I am already working on Shinji's overall wimpyness and though he will get better I do not intend a total personality overhaul. I just want Shinji to be a character that doesn't grow hair on his knuckles while standing over some girl is in a coma.

I've also dropped some clues about future plot points and the person that catches them correctly earns a pat on the head. Also it should be noted that I am going to go slow with Mitsuki and Kazuki. They are going to get together but it's not going to be an instantaneous thing. The pair will have an example on how a couple behaves though.

I would also like it known to all that this chapter is dedicated to my brother Pacman. He told me that he enjoyed this story so I worked hard to finish it before his birthday. I can only hope that he enjoys it.

So here is to you all. I hope I hear from you real soon.

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


	3. The End to a Very Long Day

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 2 – The End to a Very Long Day

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While the teaming masses of Tokyo 3 made their way out of the shelters and headed back to their lives, a certain couple was laying naked in a nearby park. If one were to look upon the pair the only thing that they might note was out of the norm, other than the fact that they were naked, would be the color of the woman's hair, which was an odd bluish-gray. What no one could know that these two were strangers to this strange land. But this did not matter to the couple, for they were too busy basking in the beam of warm sunlight that streamed through the thick trees and lit their world. To them it seemed as if God himself was giving his blessing for what had occurred here a short time ago.

As he lay beside and slightly underneath the naked body of his beloved, Makoto was quite content. While a park in some strange land was not where he had envisioned his first time to occur, something about the place that Ifurita had chosen made the experience that much more magical. What he had just experienced was indescribable. The whole act could not have taken more than ten minutes and though that may seem to be a short time to others, for Makoto that time was like a life age of the world. Just thinking about the whole thing sent shivers of pleasure down his spine and made a certain part of his body make itself known. When he had first touched Ifurita all those years ago he had thought that the link that they shared was one of minds and souls. He had never considered the possibility that they would be able to feel what the other was feeling. This certain skill made what they had just done more pleasurable than he possibly could have imagined. So while their time together was short, something that was Ifurita's fault, he had been able to ensure that she got the most out of it as possible.

But there was something that gnawed away in a dark corner of his mind. What worried him was something that plagued all men whose first time was with a woman who was more knowledgeable about such things. Though he was still linked to Ifurita, Makoto made sure that this fear was hidden from her thoughts. He could feel the bliss that she was currently feeling. And though it was great and the desire to submit to that complete ecstasy of emotion totally was almost unbearable he could not, because if he did then it could ruin her it completely.

Ifurita though was not fooled so easily and she soon detected that her beloved was withholding a part of himself from her. Such an event could not be tolerated, their relationship was one of total openness and it worked very, very, well. This was especially true with what they had just done. But the fact that he was holding back meant that there was something that he did not want her to know, something that caused him a measure of pain. There was only one way for that pain to be alleviated and their relationship made whole, and that was to bring the secret into the open. Propping herself up on her left arm she looked Makoto in the eyes, "Dearest Makoto, what troubles you?"

Makoto's eyes grew wide and fear spiked through his mind. She couldn't have felt anything; he had buried it to deeply. "What are you talking about? I'm fine."

His words did not alleviate Ifurita's concern. If anything they made it more urgent. "You're lying to me," it was not a question but a statement of fact. "Why?"

A sigh escaped Makoto's lips and he turned away from the accusing and hurt stare of his lover. "It's nothing really."

With the utmost gentleness Ifurita reached out and grasped Makoto's chin. Though he had turned away he did not resist when she turned his head to face her. "You are hurting. That is not "nothing." Please tell me what troubles you, I might be able to help."

Makoto knew that it was of no further use to keep withholding he truth. One way or another she would find out and he had already failed in his task of keeping his worries from spoiling her day. "Ifurita," he said slowly. "About what we just did. How was I? I mean compared with the others that you've been with."

Ifurita was quiet for several seconds as she processed what he was feeling. When she was finished she could not help but feel a measure of shock. What they had just gone through was the most exhilarating experience of her entire life and he was worried that he had not done a good job! For ten thousand years she had waited to see him again, knowing full well that when they did meet once more they would engage in sexual activities. During every day of that time she dreamed of what it would be like when she and her love joined together in that timeless dance. Yes, she had been with others in her lifetime but quite frankly it wasn't very satisfying. Unfortunately those experiences were what formed the framework for her dreams about this encounter. But never in all those cold, dark, seemingly endless millennia did her dreams even come close to what had just occurred. She and Makoto had become one, and not just in that singular instant of climax. The entire event was such that, even if she tried, it would take several life times to even begin to describe what had occurred in that short span of time.

With all that they had felt. The sensations, the emotions, everything. How could he even entertain the notion that he had been less than phenomenal? Though the thought seemed laughable to her it also worried her greatly. This was something that had to be dealt with, and quickly. Before this small doubt grew and consumed him utterly. She had seen firsthand what insecurities could do to a person, the evil that they committed to prove their worth. Such a path was not for her beloved and she do anything to keep him from walking it. "Makoto. My dearest Makoto. You have nothing to fear. Yes, in the past I have been with other men and even some women. But with each of them there was nothing. No joy. No love. Just the physical sensations of pleasure. And that was due to my programming. After all, how could my master feel truly powerful unless they were able to cause what they saw as a, "Lifeless doll," to cry out in pleasure? With you though, all that was different. During our time together I experienced something that I never knew existed. I wish I had the words to describe what we just did, but it seems that my time among the Ancients has failed me in this field." So please," she said softly as she caressed his cheek, "don't let these thoughts trouble you."

Ifurita's words were heartfelt and true but Makoto paid them little mind. Instead, he listened to the feelings that she had sent through their link and they spoke louder and truer than anything that she could say. Reaching up, he grasped her hand on his face and smiled. "Thanks Ifurita. Don't worry about me, you've made me feel much batter."

The smile that lit up Ifurita's face was luminous and it showed the joy that she felt for being able to help her love. With that bit of troubling thought dealt with another issue made itself known. Here she was, laying naked with her lover in the warm mid day sun and she was starting to feel ready for another go. "Oh Makoto dear," she whispered huskily as she pressed her body against his.

Makoto smiled sadly at Ifurita's actions. "I'm sorry dear, but I don't think we should."

"Why not," she asked with a pout and a wiggle.

That almost caused Makoto to give in to his mounting desires but he was able to keep a cool head. "Well for starters, we're in a park. And though this feels really good I don't want someone to find us here like this. We also have a giant robot to find."

His first reason did little to dampen the fires that raged in Ifurita. She really did not care where she and her love had sex. And with her powers back to full she could make it impossible for any passers by to see them. But Makoto's second reason did what the first did not. In the heat of her passions she had completely forgotten about the giant machine and the carnage that it had caused. Now though, the memory of that event was running clearly through her mind. Makoto was right, that machine was stranger to this world just as they were and they had to find it. Besides, with its power she needed to ensure that it posed no threat to her beloved Makoto. Sigh. "You are right Makoto. We really must find that creation."

He smiled at her complete 180. A minute ago he was almost overwhelmed by the need that was flowing into him through the link. Now though, that need had vanished like a candle in a stiff wind. In its place flowed the cool resolve to go forth and complete this newest mission. "Great!. You said that you'd be able to track that thing?"

"That is correct. My sensors are more than adequate enough to follow the dimensional anomaly left it the device's wake." Though she was now in mission mode, Ifurita allowed some seductiveness to creep into her motions as she stood up. While her fires were now cooled she knew that Makoto's were not and this would be a measure of payback for not allowing her a second go at it. Once she was upright, Ifurita focused her power and her outfit, which she had ripped off in her desire to mate with Makoto, reformed around her. Now though, instead of being disheveled and torn like it was when they first arrived on this world, her outfit was as it appeared when Makoto found her on the Forbidden Island. The ancients of El-Hazard were very intelligent and the science that they wielded like gods was unparalleled. Instead of garbing their weapon in simple cloth, the ancients crafted nano-machines which would create any outfit that she desired. As long as power coursed through her circuitry Ifurita would be able to recreate the clothes, no matter how damaged. Looking down at her love, Ifurita smile at the shocked expression. "There is more to me than you know, my dear Makoto. But that is for another time." With that she flew high into the sky.

A thousand feet above the lush green haven of the park Ifurita stopped her assent and looked out across the valley and the city which lay within it. At full power she was not a force to be trifled with and her powers where supreme over all on El-Hazard save the Eye of God, and even that held no concern for her, as she was now its mistress. It was with this power that she reached out and all of the city's secrets were laid bare before her. Much of what was made known to her was interesting, especially the powerful life form which was deep below the valley floor, but what concerned her the most was the positively massive warping of the space-time continuum emanating from a warehouse oat the city's edge. What was amazing was that the only sensors that could detect it were the ones from the Eye of God. Such a massive distortion should be visible to EVERYTHING and yet it wasn't. Now that her prey had been located, Ifurita descended back to the cover of the park. As she sat foot on the ground she found that Makoto had used her time away to get dressed once more.

Where as Ifurita was the picture of cleanliness and not a single fiber of her clothes were not out of place, Makoto was not. His hair was matted and his clothes looked as if he had been in some sort of fight. When Ifurita had brought him to this park she had been quite rough and very, very, needy. Nothing was broken, but his clothes had plenty of grass stains in them. This really did not register with Ifurita though, she was too into her search mode. "I detected a sizable distortion in the local space-time continuum originating in that direction," she stated as she pointed in the direction that the machine was at.

Makoto quirked an eyebrow at the vagueness she placed into the end of her sentence. "How far is it?"

At this her cool and detached expression transformed into a one which carried an air of mischievousness mixed with love. "Oh, not too far. But not close enough that our walk will feel too short." With that, she wrapped her arm around Makoto's and led him off in the direction that she had previously indicated. If one to look upon her at the moment they would see the content little smile that she was sporting, like she had just accomplished something and was most satisfied.

For his part, Makoto did not put up any real resistance. During the last few years, when he hadn't been working he had been dreaming, this had been something that he always wanted to do. Seeing as that wonderful dream was finally coming true he allowed his love to lead him to wherever she wanted to go.

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Meanwhile, as the happy couple were making there way through the labyrinth-like streets of Tokyo 3, a scene of carnage was playing itself out above a table somewhere in the depths of NERV. The small hologram portrayed the events that had occurred over the fortress-city a short time ago. As the mechanical monstrosity roared all in the room shuddered, a feat that was impressive seeing as the seven men who were viewing the recording were the most powerful in the world. When the tape reached its conclusion the room was plunged into silence. It stayed like that for several minutes as each man took in what they had just witnessed. Finally one of the men, one with a large beak-like nose, spoke and not that eloquent either, "What the hell was that?"

That started a huge discussion by the four men on either side of the table. The focus of their talks was the Dead Sea Scrolls and the absence of any information concerning that monstrosity. As the representatives of various countries argued over various points of scripture Lorenz Keel and Gendo Ikari sat at the ends of the table and watched the others. Both were watchers and shapers, they knew how to read people, and the actions of the others gave them plenty to read. Keel was a very shrewd man and he knew that of all the men in the room Gendo was the one that was most dangerous. While the others plotted and planed they lacked one thing that he did not, the Evangelions. With these in his hands Gendo had the capability to formulate and execute plans to combat the others on the council. Unfortunately, Gendo was good at hiding what he was thinking and nothing that was said caused him to even blink in an odd way. Therefore he would have to put an end to these discussions. The others were saying too much. "That's enough! What this thing is is of little consequence to the plan. I doubt seriously that it will interfere."

Gendo smirked behind his gloved hands. Like Keel had thought, the other's reactions were quite telling. In their wild speculation they gave him more than enough information to start formulating new plans. "Indeed. Whatever that was, it only attacked when the Angel provoked it. For now, I do not see any reason to alter the scenario."

Gendo's quick agreement with his statements put Keel off for a moment, after all Gendo was not one to offer such comments readily, but one did not live as long as he did and not know how to deal with the unexpected. "Agreed," he looked at the others sitting at the table. His cold, mechanical glare ensured that no one would say a word of opposition. With the cowards in their place, Keel turned his gaze to Gendo once more, "For the time being the issue is tabled. Your presence here is no longer required." With that he and the others vanished, leaving Gendo and his second, Fuyutski alone.

Before the elderly gentleman could do anything Gendo spoke, "They're scared," his voice was tinged with a hint of amazement.

"Rightly so. That thing is a monster." And he was right, it was a monster. Nothing had the right to kill an Angel as easily as it did. What was worse was that it vanished from all sight and it could now be lurking somewhere near by. And here Gendo was, sitting and plotting.

"Indeed it is Professor." Gendo then stood and looked to the elderly man. "And as I said before, it is of no consequence right now. The others were right, there is nothing in the scrolls about this. So, for the time being we will do nothing." As far as he was concerned, that was the end of the conversation. And with the subject tabled for the time being he walked off

Fuyutski knew his student well though to know that Gendo had not truly put the matter out of his mind. "You're planning something, aren't you?" The only answer that he received was the bespectacled man walking off into the darkness. "Of course you are," he whispered. "Oh Yui, I fear that all of our work will soon be undone."

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"Makoto, this is where the trail ends," stated Ifurita simply. When the young couple had reached the place where the dimensional anomaly ended up she had seen a small trail leading away. It took some time, seeing as the trail was very faint, but they had finally come to the end of their road.

"Really," he asked in relief. While he was physically fit, Mr. Fujisawa had ensure that his students maintained their education even in their new home, walking across this city on such a hot day after having made passionate love to his loving girlfriend made him a little tired. This was something that said girlfriend would have to take into account the next time they did a search through a major metropolis. For now though he was just happy to stop walking.

"Yes, it is." The fact that her boyfriend was tired was something that passed her attention completely, just as Makoto had thought. "What do you want me to do?"

If there was one thing that Makoto had learned about Ifurita from her memories was that she was anything but subtle. There was no telling what she would do to get to her target while in battle mode. "Lets just ring the doorbell."

The cold, blank look that had occupied Ifurita's face the last few moments vanished and was replaced by the warm, friendly expression that Makoto loved so much. "Well of course we should ring the bell," she said with a musical laugh. "What did you think I would do," she asked in mock suspicion

Unfortunately, Makoto misunderstood her act for the real thing and he began laughing awkwardly, "Ah. Heh heh. Um, you know. Knock. Yeah. . . knock. I really hate that." He then pointed at the round button, "Oh look! The doorbell."

Ifurita smiled slyly at her boyfriend's attempt to misdirect her false ire. It was odd how quickly they had taken up the roles that other couples spent years cultivating. But she didn't mind, on the contrary, it made her feel less like the mindless killing machine that she had once been and more like the woman that Makoto saw her as. "That it is." She raised her arm and with a long, outstretched, finger she depressed the button.

As she did so the couple could hear a chime sound within the apartment before them. When no one had opened the door within a second Ifurita reached out and repeated her actions of a moment before.

"You only have to press it once," commented Makoto. It wasn't really polite to ring more than once within such a short period of time. After all, one must give the occupants some time to extricate themselves from whatever activities that they had been doing.

"But they did not answer," replied Ifurita. Her tone suggested that such a short period was more than enough time for those inside to respond. And therefore a second ringing of the bell was warranted, "Perhaps they did not hear it the first time." When one had an advantage over others, as Ifurita did, they tend to forget that others are lack those same advantages. Ifurita suffered from this lack of consideration for others, if she could answer the door in a second then everyone should be able to. Right?

While Ifurita might still lack certain social graces, her methods still proved to be helpful as a woman's voice called out from within the domicile. "I'm coming!" From the woman's tone it was clear that despite Ifurita's success the occupants where less than pleased with her.

At that Ifurita looked to her boyfriend, her expression was an odd mixture of triumph and embarrassment. A second later the door opened to reveal a young woman with long brown hair. She wore a pair of dress pants that looked very professional yet at the same time showed off some of her curves while hiding others. Her blouse was made of light blue silk and, like the pants; they hid and exposed her feminine frame. All in all she had the appearance of a young businesswoman who was confident in her gender while not wanting to use said sex as a tool in her work. To Ifurita, this was all useless information. What was important to her was what her dimensional sensors were telling her. They told her that the dimensional fingerprint that the woman possessed was different from everything around her. What it was similar to was the device that killed that creature a short while ago. She announced this fact to all that would listen by letting loose a gasp and pointing at the woman, "That's one of them!"

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As much as the odd clothes threw her for a loop, the gray haired woman's exclamation really worried Mitsuki Sanada. Could they be agents of the planet's intelligence services? Had someone seen the enormous holes in her story? "Um. What do you want here?"

The man placed a hand on his companion's shoulder. The gray-haired woman looked at him questioningly and he smiled. "Let me handle this, ok." Through the link that they shared, Makoto expressed his concerns with how Ifurita was dealing with this situation. Luckily, such communication was completely unambiguous and she understood completely. With that taken care off, he turned to the woman in the doorway. "Good afternoon, ma'am. My name is Makoto Mizuhara," he said with a bow, "and this is my girlfriend Ifurita. I must apologize for Ifurita's straightforwardness. She hasn't been out much recently." In saying this he was telling the truth and not hurting his beloved's feeling.

Mitsuki narrowed her eyes at the man's seemingly nice façade. To her eyes this was rather like a good-cop bad-cop situation and she not going to fall for it. "Yes, well that's the reason why it is always wise to be around others. Now what may I do for you two today," she asked as she folded her arms under her bosom.

Makoto winced at the woman's tone. Obviously they had done something to upset her and place her ill at ease. "I'm sorry if we've done anything to upset you." But before he could continue a young man's voice called out from the apartment's interior.

When Mitsuki had gone to answer the door Kazuki stayed behind to explore his new place of residence. But during the course of his explorations he heard Mitsuki talking to someone and she sounded more upset than usual. Being the type that likes to keep his friends happy, Kazuki headed for the front door. "Hey Mitsuki! What's wrong?" He arrived at his destination before she could answer and was treated to the same odd sight that Mitsuki was looking at. But while Mitsuki saw two potential government agents Kazuki saw two oddly dressed people. "Nice outfits. Come on in and you can tell us where you came up with them," he said with a smile. With that he headed back into the apartment and left a stunned Mitsuki staring at the space he had just vacated.

There were times that Mitsuki wondered if all the dimension hopping that Kazuki did had some sort of negative effect on his mental faculties. But now that Kazuki had made the invitation Mitsuki had to abide by it, even though she felt it was a bad idea. The only thing that abated her fears at all was the self-defense training that Akane and Yayoi gave her. She put on the best smile that she could, "Yes, please come in."

"Thank you," Ifurita replied kindly. Taking hold of Makoto's hand, she followed the young man into the apartment. She had noticed that Mitsuki was apprehensive about something but once her companion came out of the apartment all of Ifurita's attention focused on him. Of the two, the man and Mitsuki, the man had a dimensional signature that was several times greater than Mitsuki's. The warping around him was so large that she was surprised that it wasn't visible. She needed to know more about this person and how he could exist without imploding.

Makoto let himself to be dragged into the apartment by his girlfriend. For one thing she strong enough to hurl him like a Frisbee, so there was no stopping her. But that wasn't the main reason that he allowed her to take him away from the entrance. That Mitsuki girl was creepy as hell. This new guy though seemed to be the sort that he would like to interact with. While he did want to get away from her, Makoto made a quick bow to Mitsuki and gave her a small smile, "Sorry." After all, it was only right to be polite.

The young couple made their way into Mitsuki's home in search of the other occupant of the apartment. They found him in the living room, where he was straightening up what little clutter there was. Seeing that they where near, the man gestured to the couch, "Please, have a sit. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Um, yes. Can I have some green tea," asked Makoto. It had been a long time since he had spent any real time in his home dimension and he missed certain things about it. While this place wasn't said plain of reality it seemed close enough.

"Sure," exclaimed Kazuki. He turned to the woman, "And you?"

Being addressed broke Ifurita out of her in-depth study of the dimensional field surrounding the man. "Oh, me," she asked as she pointed to herself.

Kazuki nodded his head, "Uh huh."

"I'll have what Makoto is having,"

"Ok," said Kazuki with a smile. He turned and headed towards the kitchen, "Now to find the kitchen."

But before Kazuki could get far Mitsuki called out, "Don't bother! I don't want you messing up my kitchen."

"Hey! It was only that one time. And besides, tea is way easier than that spaghetti you wanted me to make," he added testily. "It's not like tea is much different than ramen." With that Kazuki sat down and looked the couple at the other side of the couch. "Sorry about that. I'm Kazuki Yotsuga."

Makoto waived off Kazuki's apology, "Hey, no problem. I know what it's like to have strong women in your life." He stopped for a moment as his mind turned to the others that he left behind in El-Hazard. But that passed as quickly as it came, after all he would see them again. It was only a matter of time. "By the way, my name if Makoto Mizuhara. And this is Ifurita, my girlfriend."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kazuki with a smile. "So what brings you by?"

Ifurita and Makoto shared a brief look before turning their gaze back to their host. "Um, well I'm not quite sure how to approach this. So let me ask you a question. What do you know about alternate dimensions?" As soon as he asked that Makoto knew that it had been the wrong thing to do, for the young man's relaxed posture suddenly became rigid and the welcoming look on his face slipped away into one of shock.

Now normally Kazuki was not the suspicious type. Usually the odd behavior of others passed by as he tried to see the good around him. But even he had to see the correlation between these two people and his recent arrival in this world. His mind was a mass of conflicting emotions, each coming and going in an instant. The one that kept coming back though was fear. And it wasn't the kind of fear that was explainable. It was the kind that a wounded animal gets when it's cornered. While he was scared, the rational portion of his mind reminded him that the pair on the opposite end of the couch was staring at him. Quickly, said part supplied Kazuki's speech center with something to say. "J just what you here on TV."

From the safety of the kitchen Mitsuki could not help but smile. Though Kazuki's tone relayed his fear quite expertly, he didn't just blab the entire story to these suspicious strangers. Her thoughts were intruded upon by the bubbling of the electric kettle and she quickly poured the tea. As far as she was concerned, the quicker that she had finished her task, the sooner she could prevent Kazuki from letting anything slip. So, she placed the tea and what snacks she had onto a tray and made her way into the living room. There, she saw her "husband" and their guests sitting on the couch. As she looked to Kazuki, Mitsuki saw that he was scared but the iron will that he had developed in combat was holding the fear in check. In a flash she had the various items on the tray handed out and she sat down next to Kazuki, forming a united front against their guests.

Makoto could tell that the boy was lying and that his girlfriend didn't trust them. He honestly couldn't blame them. Leaning closer to the pair, he tried to look as non-threatening as possible. "Listen, I can tell that you are both reasonable people. Why don't I tell you about who we are and why we are here. If you don't believe us, or want nothing to do with us, then we'll leave. Does that sound fair?"

When you fight along side a person you tend to develop a means of communicating without words. Kazuki and Mitsuki had gone through a long a perilous war together and often it seemed as if they could read each other's minds. A quick glance to the other was all that was needed to confer on this matter. As one they looked to Makoto and Mitsuki said, "Yes, yes it does."

With a sigh of relief, Makoto leaned back. "This is going to take a while, so you might want to sit back for a while."

Once more, Kazuki and Mitsuki looked to each other. After a second they nodded at the other and then sat back for the long haul. Like last time, Mitsuki was the group's spokeswoman. "Ok. Start when you are ready," this time her tone was slightly more cordial than before. While she was still suspicious of the two she did note that the man was had taken notice of their discomfort and was taking measures to lighten their image.

Makoto smiled at Mitsuki and took a sip of tea to wet with throat. "It all started a little over six years ago when an odd room was found in my high school . . . ." Over the next two hours Makoto told Kazuki and Mitsuki everything that had happened to bring him here. From Ifurita's hand in transporting him, two classmates, and a teacher to the land of El Hazard to the war with the seemingly endless Bugram, no detail was spared. "And for the last six years I have been working with Ifurita's power key staff and the system's of Eye of God. Finally, I was able to use the staff to force the Eye to the co-ordinates of my home dimension. After that all I had to do was charge the staff and open a portal. I found Ifurita, nearly dead at the edge of Shinanomi High's basketball court. With what little strength that she had left, Ifurita ran into my arms and using her staff I tried to return us to El-Hazard. Something went wrong though, and instead of appearing there we materialized on the streets of this city. That's when we saw a large gray figure horribly destroy an even larger diamond. Thanks to her interaction with the Eye of God, Ifurita here could see the dimensional irregularities surrounding the figure and she was able to track it to a warehouse at the edge of the city. From there she was able to detect a trail, which lead us to you. Now Ifurita and I don't really have to worry about much. All we have to do is lay low until the staff gains enough power to open a portal home. But we thought that you might not be so lucky. So we came here to help you find your way back."

Now at first Mitsuki had been silent out of common courtesy, but by the end her silence was her interest in what crazy thing this Makoto would say next. I mean come on, sure inter-dimensional travel was nothing new. Neither was large, insanely powerful, machines capable of ripping holes in the fabric of reality. But control over elements? Flying? Or dimension hopping powers? Yeah right. "I assume you have proof of all this," she asked in a deadpan voice.

Ifurita and Makoto shared a quick look. They could tell that their hosts doubted the tale of their adventures. Unfortunately they had little proof to back their claims. In fact, the only evidence in their possession was Ifurita herself. "Yes," stated the woman simply. Taking hold of her staff, she stood and looked at the pair on the couch. "There is proof, and I am it." With that, Ifurita exerted her power and her feet left the carpeted floor. Then, in an effort to show off, she summoned a sphere of fire and one of water. These she willed to circle her lithe form. Seeing the wide-eyed expressions of Mitsuki and Kazuki, Ifurita came to the conclusion that they had their proof.

Of the two Kazuki was the first to get his bearings. In his time in the parallel world he had learned that speedy recovery from shock could be the only thing that stood between him and death. "Ok, you have my attention," he laughed nervously. Seeing that her story was true an element of fear crept into his being, sure he could deal with he with Zinv, black holes were pretty good at stopping things, but right now he was just Kazuki Yotsuga, average mortal.

"Uh, yeah. What Kazuki said," added Mitsuki shakily.

As Ifurita powered down and sat next to him Makoto could tell that she was hurting. The source of her pain was obvious, the fear that Kazuki and Mitsuki were now experiencing was so obvious a blind man could see it. From where he stood they had nothing to be afraid about, especially since they all would have to work together if they were going to make it back to their respective homes. "Listen. You two have nothing to be afraid of. With the obedience circuit broken Ifurita is just as human as you or me. It's just that she has more power than the rest of us. But so do you Kazuki."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you say that Zinv would know the moment you were in danger and come to save you? I'm pretty sure that if it came down to it, you are way more powerful than Ifurita here," he said as he reached over to lay a comforting hand said woman's shoulder. "Does that mean that we're afraid of you; no. So what do you say? Friends?" With that he held out a hand in friendship.

Kazuki shared a brief glance with Mitsuki and then looked at the outstretched hand. He was right, the speed that Zinv possessed was great enough to get here the moment he even thought he was in serious danger. After that Ifurita would be cat food. But more than that, he too could see the pain that marred the bio-roid's features. So, mirroring Makoto's friendly smile, he reached out and took hold of the offered hand, "Friends."

"Great," but before he could say more Makoto was caught in the grip of a massive yawn. "Oh god, its late."

Looking at the time Kazuki whistled in disbelief. "Damn, you're right. You two can sleep here tonight." Realizing what he just did, the young man turned slowly toward his companion, "That is, if it is alright with you Mitsuki."

Mitsuki sighed in annoyance. "Honestly Kazuki! You need to think before making decisions like that," she chided angrily. Turning to the couple, "Of course you may stay."

Makoto blinked at the odd emotional changes that Mitsuki just displayed. He was used to such things with Nanami and Shayla-Shayla but had thought that they were isolated cases. Now though it looked as if they were the norm and his beloved was the odd ball. Shrugging his shoulders at that thought, he smiled at the offer of lodging, "Thanks. We really do appreciate that."

"Excellent," exclaimed Mitsuki as she stood. "If you will follow me, I will take you to your rooms."

After getting the young couple situated for the night, Mitsuki did a quick patrol of the apartment to make sure all the doors were securely locked. With each room cleared she made sure to turn off the lights behind her, this place may be free but she certainly didn't want to overburden things by wasting energy. Finally, her patrol landed her in front of the master bedroom. At first, she was just going to walk in as she had done in the last month, but as she realized that Kazuki might be changing in there she did not want to just barge in on him. After all, if she expected a modicum of privacy from the man that was to share her bed then it was only right that she afford him the same courtesy. Lightly rapping upon the thin wood door she called out softly, "Kazuki, are you decent?"

"Yeah. Come on in Mitsuki."

Sliding open the door, she found that Kazuki had already changed and was trying, be it embarrassedly, to get comfortable in their bed. Mitsuki felt her cheeks warm a little at the sight but quickly pushed such things down, otherwise she may not get anything done. "Um Kazuki," she started hesitantly, "Can you cover your head? I need to get changed."

Kazuki blushed bright red at that, "S, sure Mitsuki." Very quickly, so as not to incur her wrath, he pulled the thick cover over his head. "Ready," he said, as if she could not tell that he was unable to see her. And as an added bit of safety he closed his eyes as tightly as possible, if he was going to be sharing a bed with her then he was definitely not going to get on her bad side.

With Kazuki sufficiently covered, Mitsuki felt safe enough to get changed. Stripping off the day's clothes she tossed the dirty apparel into the nearby hamper. As she stood with just her underwear on a thought crossed her mind. It was one of those brief, sometimes odd, notions that can creep into one's mind when they least expect such things. Now, with the idea lodged firmly within her psyche, she slowly and sensuously glided over to the closet. From within its dark confines she withdrew one of the men's long-sleeve shirts that she had purchased for Kazuki. She had regular pajamas that she had been able to purchase with her earnings, but for some reason it seemed somehow, better, to wear this to bed. Using the same sensuality that she had been filled with before, Mitsuki slinked toward the young man who had, whether he knew it or not, captivated her attention. Sliding into place next to Kazuki, she sounded the all clear, "Ok Kazuki, you can come out now."

The comforter was slowly pulled back, in a time like this Kazuki was not going to take any chances. In many ways Mitsuki was like her mother Ayuko and could be very mischievous when the thought arose. For all he knew, she could be laying beside him completely naked just to mess with his mind. The feel of her silken, shaved, and most disturbingly, bare, legs against his own only served to reinforce that fear. When the cover was completely removed from his vision he gulped in nervousness. It seemed, that although she had chosen a button-up shirt as her night shirt of choice, Mitsuki had forgotten to secure several of the buttons, as her absolutely perfect, in his opinion at least, assets were most profoundly on display for him, and anyone else who should come in, to see. "Mitsuki! Are you sure you want to be wearing that," he asked cautiously. "It doesn't seem to be all that warm."

"Oh I'm sure:" she replied with a saucy grin. "And besides," she added with a deep breath, "if I get cold I have you to warm me up." Seeing the way Kazuki's eye grew to humongous proportions was the final straw and the laughter that she had been suppressing exploded. "Oh God Kazuki! You should have seen your face!"

Kazuki could only stare as Mitsuki was reduced to a laughing mass. Eventually he began to see the humor in the situation and was soon laughing every bit as hard as she was. Every now and then one or both would regain a modicum of composure only to break down when they saw the other. Finally their laughter had run its course and the pair were left gasping for breath and holding their sore stomachs. "I haven't laughed that hard in forever," he gasped with a smile.

"I know, isn't it great?"

"You bet," he replied with a yawn. Apparently their merriment had burned up his final reserves of energy and it was all he could do to remain awake. Mitsuki seemed to be in the same boat as she sleepily pulled the disheveled covers over them and laid her head on his chest. Normally such actions may have been cause for some concern, but at the moment Kazuki could care less. Her warmth was soothing and their close proximity only seemed to increase the feeling of peace that filled him. Tomorrow was another day and he would think about the possible ramifications of their arrangement then, for now sleep's siren song was just too alluring to ignore.

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"The Angel has halted its forward motion. It's holding steady at seventy-five meters above Tokyo-3," announced a voice off to Misato's left.

Said woman never shifted her gaze from the massive screens which occupied a good portion of Central Dogma. On the main screen the latest Angel hung silently above the surface of the fortress-city. To the left of that was a feed from a camera within Unit-01's entry plug. With a smile Misato took in her young charge's scared, yet determined, expression. "Unit-01's status," she called out to one of the faceless techs.

"All systems in the green! Pilot's sync ration holding forty-five percent," yelled one voice.

"Unit-01 now locked on cat-02," responded someone else.

"Ready Shinji," asked Misato.

"Ready Misato," he replied with some confidence.

Misato smiled at that. For the past month Shinji had been changing. It wasn't much but she could see it. He was opening up a little more and he seemed to take piloting Eva a tad bit more seriously. In her mind such things were a sign that he was on the right track to becoming the person that she knew he could be, the one that had been hidden under so much despair and angst. "Right! Eva Unit-01 . . LAUNCH!"

Like a shot out of a cannon, the purple mecha shot up through the secret passages in the Geo-front. On the entry plug camera Misato could see Shinji straining under the massive g-forces that the catapult produced. After several seconds though the strain had stopped and Unit-01 appeared on the main monitor. It was a standard launch, nothing out of the ordinary to cause any alarm. Suddenly though, as if in defiance of the normalcy, a claxon began to sound. From her standpoint, Misato could see the Angel's surface begin to glow.

At the same moment a voice cried out from behind her, "There's an energy build up in the target." From the Angel lanced out a beam of hot, yellow, light. In an instant the beam had impacted upon its target, the wayward Unit-01

On the side screen the beams awful effects were displayed vividly to the horrified Misato. Once it had breached the outer armor and the organic components of the Eva the beam went to work on the entry plug itself. Instantly the LCL, which normally cooled and cushioned Shinji, began to boil. The searing heat burned the young man's flesh. Before her wide eyes the young man that she had come to know was being cooked alive. With each blink Shinji was cooked a bit more. His pale flesh first became red from the burning. Then, as the temperature increased, the burned flesh was ripped away as the entry plug's systems tried, however vainly, to cool the superheated plug. By this point the plug suit had long since melted and as he thrashed about globs of plastic and flesh pealed away to reveal muscle and bone.

And the screaming. It had started the instant that the vile beam had first touched Unit-01's armor. As time passed it only increased, both in volume and in urgency. "MISATO! PLEASE HELP ME! OH GOD IT HURTS! MISATO!" Their power and pain reached out to the woman and forced her to her knees. Tears flowed from her eyes as his agony continued unabated. She didn't know how but they kept on coming, even as skin, then muscle and nerve pealed away, they came, begging her to end the pain which gripped his soul. Finally, once everything that made Shinji, Shinji, his bones began to dissolve, denying Misato any sort of memento of his life. There, in that one horrible, eternal, instant, the young man known as Shinji Ikari ceased to be and through every memory that she had of him could be heard the terrible screams of his death.

She could take no more, during the entire ordeal Misato had been unable to say or do anything, now though, as Shinji's body now consisted of nothing more than some seared meat and melted plastic she grabbed hold of the cross around her neck. Her entire being was filled with rage and sorrow and her grip on the white cross was so much that it pierced her flesh. Ripping the blood soaked idol from her neck she hurled it towards the screen, which had so passively displayed the young man's horrific death. "SHINJI!"

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Misato did not know how long she yelled the young man's name, she only knew the she stopped when she was slammed against the floor. Opening her eyes, which had closed in the shock of the fall, she saw that she was now in her room. The chair, which she had been sitting in, was now turned over. Before she could really gain her bearings a dark form crossed her field of view. Focusing her tear filled eyes on the form she saw the concerned face of one Shinji Ikari. That thought pinged around her skull for a minute like a game of pong. Finally though, he addled mind was able to piece everything together and she realized that it was indeed Shinji above her. "SHINJI!"

Before he could say anything, Shinji was caught in the vice like grip of Misato. Given how he had been positioned over her, when she grabbed hold of him his face ended smack-dab in the middle of her bountiful cleavage, had this been any other moment he may have blushed at the situation. But in the here and now Shinji's thoughts were focused entirely on the sounds of Misato sobbing into his chest.

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Several minutes earlier he had been preparing for bed, thoughts of the battle recording danced through his head. The peaceful situation was shattered though by a loud scream on the part of Misato. Now he had heard his named bellowed by the woman before, normally it was for beer or food, but on the rare occasion it was during battle. Those times he could hear the concern that she had for him, and he thought about it they may have given him hope that she actually cared for him. This time though, it was as if she had just seen him killed, her scream was one of loss and supreme sadness. Never in his life had he heard such a sound, and if he had his way he was never be subjected to it again. For her to cry out like that meant to him that there was something deeply wrong.

With a speed that he did not know he possessed, Shinji ran towards the sounds of Misato's constant wail. When it abruptly stopped with a thud, he paused but only for a moment and then he continued on all the faster. Slamming open the door to her room, he was nearly knocked back by the smell of alcohol, which was ever present in Misato's room. Laying on the floor was the room's sole occupant, for a moment the thought that maybe her scream was no more than some drunken outburst passed through his mind but a second later the sound of her anguish resonated in his skull. Whatever had happened was not the result of beer, at least not entirely.

Creeping over to Misato, Shinji tried to determine if there was anything physically wrong with her. A physical examination proved fruitless though. All it accomplished was giving him a rush of hormones as he took in her scantily clothed form. That had been happening a lot more recently. Before, he had only seen Misato as his keeper, someone how only dealt with him because of his ability to pilot. But he increasingly saw her as others did, a beautiful and vivacious woman. Any further thought though was whipped away when she opened her eyes. Leaning closer to her prone form he was about to ask her if everything was ok, but before he could though she yelled out his name and grabbed hold of him.

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In his life Shinji wasn't really exposed to what one would call healthy emotional experiences, none of the Evangelion pilots had actually. Though it had limited his contact with others there was a part of him that did not mind as it allowed his to keep people away. In this place of pain he had resolved to continue that practice, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans. Kensuki and Toji had done their damdest to work their way into his life, especially the skinny military nut, but were he went the other followed. Misato also seemed determined to work her way into his life; her actions after the fourth Angel had put that into question though. The real sabot in the gears though was one Mitsuki Yotsuga. Unlike the others she had no reason to try and befriend him, and yet she had. It pained him to let people in, but at the same time it felt better than he could have ever imagined. A new world was opening for him and it scared him, at the same time he felt so confident that he could take an Angel barehanded.

This newfound confidence still didn't give Shinji the tolls to deal with someone in distress like Misato was. As gently as possible, and in a manner that he thought would be comforting, he patted her. "It's going to be ok."

A part of Misato realized where the muffled words were emanating from and had the good decency to blush. Her crying abated somewhat as embarrassment was added in with her other warring emotions. While making sure that she always maintained a grip on the young man, so as to ensure he would not suddenly vanish, Misato moved around so that Shinji had more air and she could look at his face. "Sorry about that Shinji."

"Isn't that supposed to be my line," he quipped. Though he often fell back into the habit of apologizing for nothing, Mitsuki had gotten him to realize that he was doing it. The line worked partially, as Misato laughed, though she also kept crying. This didn't sit well with him, Misato was prone to rather mercurial mood swings but he had never seen her cry like this before. "Misato, what's wrong?"

"Shinji, I'm not ready to talk about it right now. Can you just lay here and hold me?"

"S-sure," he replied with a blush. After all, it wasn't every day that an attractive woman asked you to sleep with her. Slowly he leaned back to lie down on the futon.

Misato practically wrapped herself around him, as if something was going to come for Shinji it would have to come through her. Her proximity to him seemed to be just what the doctor ordered, for over the course of the next ten minutes her tears slowly dried up and she fell into a peaceful slumber.

During the whole ordeal Shinji held onto Misato. It seemed as if having his arms around her comforted her. For some reason being like this didn't really feel awkward. Instead of the discomfort or blind panic that he expected to feel there was a certain warmth which filled him. Having Misato, a woman who was normally so strong and in control, totally dependent upon him made Shinji feel better about himself. As he waited her to sleep he found something important, though he wouldn't realize it for a while. All he knew is that the world suddenly seemed a tad bit brighter. And so Shinji Ikari did something that he had not done for as long as he could remember, he had a peaceful nights rest.

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Author's Notes: Wow! Its been a year since I completed a chapter of this. All I can say is DAMN. It was never my intention to have this take so long. Let's just say that nearly a year without school is not conceive to my writing. But the lull is over now, to a degree. I have been working on my book and there are several chapters done in that, but this story has never been far from my mind. In case you all were worried, yes I do plan on finishing this. It just might be 2015 till I do lol. For those fans of my other work, No Life Queen, know that I have not forgotten about it either but the hiatus that I took didn't help me any on that story. As I'm back in the swing of things I should hopefully be able to churn out some more work for you the fateful. And to you who have kept an eye out I thank you, hopefully you liked this as much as the rest,

Now I know that this has been going rather slow story wise. We just ended the first day! Don't worry, now that main characters are in place I assure you things will be picking up. And yes, that was very mean what I did to Shinji. But what can I say? I've always wanted to see him killed and now I've gotten it out of my system, for you Shinji fans don't worry he'll be hanging around for some time.

Well I cant think of all the objections people may have but I look forward to reading them.

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


	4. Hello Cousin Makoto

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 3 – Hello Cousin Makoto

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Several days passed since Kazuki, Zinv, Makoto, and Ifurita were pulled to this new world. In the Yotsuga household things had settled down after the excitement of that first day. Mitsuki had taken it upon herself to get Makoto and Ifurita an apartment of their own; she had seen the looks that the couple shared and did not want her sleep interrupted by any cries of passion. Luckily the program which had allowed her to get a place for free was still in place, and after a spot of paperwork the couple were set. The one setback in the plan though was one which dealt with the cooking abilities of Ifurita and Makoto, or the lack there of. It appeared as if Makoto's cooking ability was on par with Kazuki's, meaning that instant ramen was the height of their cooking acumen. Ifurita possessed this skill along with what she had picked up as her time as a consort during the wars of El-Hazard. Unfortunately this was Tokyo-3 and as such most of those skills were useless. So, the couple ended up eating their meals with Mitsuki and Kazuki.

In fact, that was what they were doing at the moment. Sometimes it was odd to converse with the couple from another world as they would often talk through their link with each other and thus Mitsuki and Kazuki felt somewhat out of the loop. After the first day, one of them must have noticed the discomfort on the part of their hosts, for they had toned down the ESP though they still did it from time to time.

"So how was your day you two," asked Mitsuki conversationally.

"Ok I guess," Makoto sighed.

"What's wrong," Kazuki asked in concern. It was rare that the man let things get to him.

"Nothing much. Its just that I don't have a place here. Most of my time on El-Hazard was spent learning theoretical physics to control the Eye of God. The stuff I know is so far ahead of these people that I just don't fit in."

"Maybe you can try teaching the basics of physics at the school," offered Mitsuki.

"I tried. But they said that I cant get a job with them without any I.D."

Mitsuki snapped her fingers in realization, "That's right! Mr. Daijobi gave me your documentation. I had been meaning to get it to you, I just forgot, sorry."

"Hey no problem," replied Makoto with a wave of his hand. "At least you remembered."

"Yeah, let me go get them." Getting up from the table, Mitsuki headed towards the front of the apartment. There, on a small table next to the door was the brown purse that she had bought to carry her stuff in. From it she withdrew a small manila envelope. With her parcel in hand, she headed back to the assembled group. "Here they are. Sorry again."

"Thank you Mitsuki. Your aid has been most appreciated," said Ifurita.

"Yeah I don't know why, but I seem to have been really lucky since I've been here."

"Maybe that's your power," quipped Makoto as he grabbed a vegetable with his chopsticks.

"Power?"

"Makoto dear is referring to the ability that you received when you crossed the dimensional boundary."

"Oh, you mean like his ability to communicate with the technology of El-Hazard," asked Kazuki.

"Indeed."

"But this isn't the first time that Kazuki and I have jumped dimensions, and we didn't get any powers then."

"Maybe that is because you stayed on the same spacial plane," Makoto offered thoughtfully. Seeing the confused stares on the part of Kazuki and Mitsuki, he elaborated. "When you two jumped dimensions you did so to one that lay on the same special plane. That was why the two worlds were able to merge, because they were just a few degrees out of phase from each other. When Nanami, Mr. Fujisawa and I went to El-Hazard we traveled to a dimension far removed from our own. I bet if you had tried that cloak that of Zinv's in or around your dimension Ifurita wouldn't be able to find you as the signatures are so similar that the field would just blend in with the fabric of that dimension. Here though, it is so different that you stand out like a sore thumb."

"So my power is luck," said Mitsuki skeptically. "How is that any good."

"I would not say that you are lucky, luck is a concept, just as much as good or evil. However, as I scan you now with this new data, it does answer some questions that I had concerning you. You seem to be generating a field which bends the laws of probability in your favor. Quite amazing if you ask me," added Ifurita.

"Wow Mitsuki! You got a great power."

"Yeah, I guess I did. Though I wouldn't have minded super strength like that Mr. Fujisawa." She sat in silence contemplating the uses of her newly realized power. At the same time, Mitsuki pondered over another question, what did Kazuki get.

He seemed to be on the same wavelength as his dimensional comrade as the next words out of Kazuki's mouth were, "Hey Ifurita. You think that you could scan me and see what power I have?"

The artificial woman shook her head in the negative, "I am sorry Kazuki. The only reason that I am able to determine Mitsuki's is that there is definite warping in her quantum structure. Like Nanami, Fujisawa-sensei, and dear Makoto, we will have to wait and see what power you posses."

"Unlike the rest of us though, you don't really have to worry about your power," quipped Makoto. "After all, you do have Zinv."

Kazuki could not help but acknowledge Makoto's point, when compared to luck and the ability to see through illusions, the power of Zinv was unparalleled. The next few minutes were spent in silence as they all ate their meal in contemplative silence.

The peaceful tranquility was soon spoiled by the loud ringing of the doorbell followed by the piercing voice of an unseen woman. "HEY MITSUKI! YOU THERE?"

All eyes turned to the woman and question, "OK, I'll get it." Walking towards the front Mitsuki began to formulate her apology. In all the excitement of Kazuki's arrival and trying to get Ifurita and Makoto situated she had completely forgotten about the new friends that had made her time here so enjoyable.

As the door opened it revealed the concerned eyes of one Misato Katsuragi. Without hesitation, the older woman lunged forward to grip Mitsuki by the shoulders. "Mitsuki! Are you okay? You missed dinner and we didn't hear from you."

From behind Misato, Shinji Ikari's voice beckoned his room mate. "Misato, give her a chance to respond first."

Mitsuki leaned to the right and smiled at the young man that stood behind Misato, "Thanks Shinji." Looking back at Misato, who had released her hold on her shoulder, Mitsuki had the decency to look guilty. "Yeah, sorry about that you guys. Its just that Kazuki arrived and he brought family with him. So its been a little hectic trying to get settled."

Misato perked up at this new bit of news, "Kazuki is here you say? And he brought people with him? Well you know what that means?"

The deep dark pit in the bottom of Shinji's stomach just opened a bit more, "Please god no."

By this point the purple-haired woman appeared to be almost manic, "That's right! A party! Woo Hoo!" Turning around, Misato began to head for the elevator, dragging Shinji all the way. "Come on Shinji! We've got a party to plan for." Right before the doors closed, she locked eyes with Mitsuki. "My place in two hours."

As she stood and watched her neighbors and friends walk away Mitsuki was torn between uneasiness and excitement. On one hand, it was a party and Misato knew how to throw those well, if you liked booze that is. On the other hand, it was a party . . . at Misato's. If there was one thing that she had learned well since arriving here on this world, it was that one never wanted to be near Misato when she was drunk. The woman's playful side came out in full force and any little embarrassing detail was sure to come out of her mouth. But no matter what hand she was using, the path was now established, whether they liked it or not she, Kazuki, Ifurita, and Makoto would all be at the party and they would enjoy it.

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The small group of dimensional travelers stood outside the door to the Katsuragi residence. The portal had been decorated with streamers and a large sign that proudly proclaimed, "Welcome Kazuki," and written below in red marker, obviously added at the last minute, was, "And other relatives."

"Well, doesn't that make me feel special," quipped Makoto dryly. "I'm so glad to have been included."

"Don't feel to bad Makoto," said Mitsuki reassuringly. "Ever since I told her that Kazuki was coming Misato has been planning this party. Though I am surprised that she when to the expense of actually having a sign made. Usually she isn't this formal"

"I am a special occasion though," replied Kazuki with a smile. "I mean you sounded awfully happy to see me Mitsuki."

Said female blushed before glaring at her "husband," "Don't say that Kazuki! I would have been happy to see anyone from home."

Had he not known her as well as he did, Kazuki may have believed her. As it was he knew better. He remembered how she how sounded over the com-link, and he doubted that she would have been so open if it was D who was the one stepping out of Zinv.

"Shall I ring the bell," asked Ifurita helpfully.

Before anyone could answer her the door opened to reveal the perplexed face of Shinji Ikari. He had heard yelling outside and gone to check on the source of the disturbance. As he looked upon the faces of Kazuki and Makoto for some reason he instantly had a sense of comradery with the older men. He couldn't explain it, but he felt as if they would understand his life, that they had undergone similar ordeals only to come through happy and cared for by women of exquisite beauty.

Looking at Shinji, Mitsuki was glad that Kazuki was here. It seemed as if the young man had already attracted the attention of Shinji. She just hoped that he would be able to help the troubled youth. "Hi Shinji. This is my husband Kazuki. And these are Kazuki's cousin Makoto and his wife Ifurita." Said people turned towards the skinny boy and bowed.

Shinji returned their bow with wide eyes. Though some of the old ways remained, many of the customs which previous generations held sacred had been washed away by the flood waters of the Second Impact. To see these relatively young people still practicing them was surprising. Luckily his teacher had been an old man who had insisted that Shinji was properly educated. "Good evening, and welcome to my home. Come in, please."

"Thank you Shinji. Please take this," said Ifurita as she held out a bottle of sake that had a bow tied around the neck.

The young Eva pilot quickly took the bottle. "Uh thanks. Sorry about the mess, Misato decided to get started early." The mess that he referred to, if one could call it such, was several open bottles of beer that were scattered about the table. They were joined by a ripped open bag of potato chips. But while the table was in a state of disarray, the rest of the apartment was positively immaculate.

Just as her companions were about to comment on the surprising lack of clutter, Mitsuki held up a silencing hand. "Believe me," she said softly. "To Shinji, this place is ruined. You will just have to learn to deal with it."

Before Mitsuki could say anything more, Misato got hold of her. "MITSUKI!! Itsh about time ya got to da party!" The drunken Lieutenant Commander held her young friend close as she drug her further into the apartment.

As the pair walked away, Makoto could not suppress a smile. Suddenly, he felt like he was back home. "She's just like Shayla-Shayla," he remarked happily as he followed them in.

"Then it is a good thing that I can not get drunk," murmured Ifurita.

While in the midst of introducing Mitsuki and Kazuki to her friend, one Ritsuko Akagi, Misato heard Ifurita's comment. Others may have just let it pass by unremarked, but not her. To the purple-haired beauty, it was a declaration of war. "So yah think ya can drink me under da table eh?! Shinji! Get me ma beer!" Giving her newfound opponent an appraising stare, Misato had to admit she was a beauty. But looks weren't everything, and unless she missed her guess, this newcomer would be an easy mark.

Before she could issue any sort of negative response, Ifurita found herself being dragged towards the table. Not wanting to be rude, she allowed herself to be plunked down in a chair. For a second, she toyed with the notion that she should try and allay her host's suspicions, but that was soon dismissed in light of Misato's determined visage. Ifurita's memories of Shayla-Shayla she had acquired from her love informed her that such a person would not allow any halting of such a quest. So, she merely sat quietly and waited, something she was infinitely qualified for.

The artificial woman did not have to wait long, for, about a minute later Misato sat across from her. She was about to call for Shinji once more when said roommate showed up with a case of beer. Wrapping a loving arm around the metal-encased ambrosia, Misato smiled up at the young man. "Thanksh Shinji!" With the etiquette required token of thanks given, she turned her eyes back to her newfound opponent. "Well misshy. Then rules are shimple. First one to passh out losses." Passing a beer to Ifurita, Misato cracked open one of her own and began chugging.

Misato put up a valiant effort. She met Ifurita drink for drink. But the human body, even a drunkard like Misato, can only handle so much alcohol. With her maximum reached in about an hour of constant drinking, the Lieutenant-Commander's head crashed down against the table. Before unconsciousness finally claimed her, one last thought passed through her mind. "_Damn! Beaten by the new girl._"

As for Ifurita, not a single ounce of alcohol effected her being. When the liquid hit her stomach, the nanites she activated there, immediately began breaking down the toxic substance. Any beneficial compounds were shunted to nourish her organic components. Meanwhile, the rest were sent to processing facilities for either more nanites or to help power her systems. The net result was that Ifurita remained stone sober.

One of the room's other occupants noticed Ifurita's astonishing constitution. Ritsuko Akagi had been keeping an eye on her friend's most recent drinking challenge. Back in college Misato had drunk sailors under the table, yet this ethereal creature had bested her. "That's amazing," she comment to her companion, Mitsuki.

Playing her part as a knowing relative, Mitsuki just smiled and said, "She's always had a strong stomach."

Ritsuko shook her head. "Strong stomach or not, she should be showing some signs of alcohol poisoning. With that amount, there is no way she should be conscious."

Hearing that, Ifurita immediately began working a ruse. Letting out a low moan, she disengaged her computer coordination systems. In a passing facsimile of drunkenness, she stood only to tumble to the floor. With her face buried in the plush carpeting of the Katsuragi residence, she began to slur out an old El-Hazardian drinking song. "When the Holy River overflows, you best be there to dry off a priestess!" Like all good drinking songs, it was loud, vulgar, and not really poetic.

Across the room, the menfolk were getting acquainted. After the initial posturing and mindless banter, the real talks began.

"Oh come on! How can you call Char a pedophile," roared Kensuke Aida indignantly.

"Well there was Lalah Sune and what about Quess Paraya," asked Kazuki with a smirk. If there was one character in all of anime he loved to destroy it was Char Aznable.

"I won't go so far as to say that he was into little girls," introjected Makoto. "But you have to admit that they were into him. Why they would like an asshole Char is beyond me though."

"But that's why he's so cool," whined Kensuke.

"Whatever man," chimed in Toji. "At least he was better than that whiny bitch Amaro. Especially in the original Gundam."

The assembled men nodded sagely. Even Shinji, though his was only half-hearted at best. Of all the characters in Mobile Suit Gundam, he liked Amuro the most. There was much that he identified with in that character.

Makoto was going to say more when he heard his love moan. Instantly his head whipped around to check on her. "_**Are you ok?**_"

"_**I am well. There are suspicions on the part of Doctor Akagi. Please follow my scenario.**_"

Along with her words and assurances, Ifurita sent him all the pertinent information to her plan. So, when she fell onto the floor and began singing, Makoto wasn't very surprised. Leaping up from where he sat with the others, he made his way to his love while putting on the facade of concern. "Ifurita! Are you okay?"

"Makoso," slurred the Demon God expertly. "Why are youse sho big?" She then giggled, "Well, bigger than ushal."

Instantly, the dimensionally displaced man blushed a deep crimson. Casting an apologetic eye towards the watching women he said, "Sorry, sometimes she drinks more than she can handle. I'll take her back to our place."

Ritsuko waived off his apology, her curiosity abated for the moment. "Don't worry. That's how Misato's opponents usually end up. Though I am going to love rubbing in her loss. If you want, you can prop her up in a corner and have some more fun."

"I don't think I should," answered Makoto. "She can get really loud and she sometimes breaks things." He knew that Ifurita couldn't get drunk, so he just based her on how Shayla-Shayla would act. All he could hope for was that they would prove convincing. A wince on the part of Ritsuko told Makoto all he needed to know.

"Yes. It would probably be best to lay her down somewhere she will be comfortable." The last thing she wanted was a noisy or destructive drunk. At least Misato just got exceedingly playful. But while she was glad to be rid of a potential source of chaos, the good doctor was not without compassion. "Do you need any help getting her out?"

In response to her question, Makoto lifted Ifurita up effortlessly. Had she not surreptitiously activated her flight systems, then it would be another matter entirely. "Nah, I got it. Thanks though."

With the "drunks" gone, the party settled into its more sedate phase. People talked and laughed about the most inconsequential things. Even Shinji managed to participate, if only do to the prodding of Mitsuki.

"Kazuki, can you please get me some water," asked Mitsuki with a fluttering of her eyes.

"Sure." As he got up he looked to the rest of the room. "Anyone else need anything?" Inwardly he thanked the heavens that no one wanted anything as he headed to the kitchen. Along the way, he passed Rei Ayanami as she returned from the restroom. Kazuki hadn't really gotten a feel for the younger girl. For the whole time he had been at the party, she had spoken nearly five words.

As Rei passed the, to her mind, inconsequential individual, she happened to catch his eyes with her own. The sight within those orbs instantly halted her progress. When the strange object had killed the previous Angel in the skies above Tokyo 3, Rei had come to know a new emotion. It had taken some research, but she found the name of the rogue feeling. Terror, mind-numbing, and all-consuming, had griped her soul in its icy grasp. Now, within Kazuki Yotsuga's brown eyes, that terror was made manifest once more. She did not see any portion of his ocular structures. To her, all there was was the angry visage of that armored monstrosity staring back at her. So scared was she, that a fearful gasp escaped her lips.

For Kazuki, Rei's odd, red, eyes sparked within him a feeling of recognition; and of rage. The recognition confused him, because, as far as he knew, neither he nor Zinv had ever encountered her. As for the rage, though he did not know its reasons Kazuki knew its source. Zinv was furious. Why, it took every ounce of willpower that he possessed not to reach out, grab the girl by the neck, and choke her until there was nary a breath left in her. Instead, he offered up a weak smile, "I'm sorry. I must have startled you."

Though terror was new to her, Rei was trained by none other than Gendo Ikari. From him she was taught how to tame her emotions, and she learned her lessons well. The albino's features blanked in an eye blink, and in her monotone voice she said, "It is of no concern. Good day Mr. Yotsuga."

Kazuki blinked at her cold tone. What was more surprising was that she gave him no opportunity to say anything else. Instead, Rei just walked off without further comment.. So, instead of puzzling out the eccentricities of yet another odd girl, he just shrugged his shoulders and continued on his appointed task. When he returned to the party, Kazuki saw that Rei was missing. "Hey, where did Rei go?"

Before others could answer, Misato bolted up and exclaimed, "She stole my beer!" Of course, her actions were ignored, and for good reason. The next sound she issued was the meaty "thwak" of her face once again embedding itself in the table.

Shinji was the one who actually gave any sort of meaningful response. "Rei just left without saying anything."

Toji chimed in as well, "It was weird! She almost looked upset." His tone made it painfully clear to all that the jock thought felt his analysis was completely outlandish.

Kazuki nodded, "Yeah, she didn't look that well when we passed in the hall." After a moment of further introspection, he just shrugged his shoulders and put the whole incident out of his mind. "Well, here is your water Mitsuki."

Said girl looked up with a smile as she took her beverage. "Thanks Kazuki." Turning back to her blond-haired companion, she asked, "Where was I?"

"You were mentioning how it was possible to travel along a ten dimensional axis," replied Ritsuko with child-like enthusiasm. The theories and calculation this young woman was feeding her were simply astounding.

"Oh yeah. Daddy hypothesized that it was possible to navigate in ten dimensional space while havening a three dimensional destination in mind. According to his calculations the initial transition into the higher layers could be accomplished with an input energy of about fifteen hundred megawatts. After that, the energy of the tear would supply all the power needed for the trip."

"Astounding," muttered Ritsuko. In her mind's eye, she saw the equations that would quantify what Mitsuki was saying. To her astonishment, they solved many of the problems NERV had been having in creating a stable S2 engine. _"I'm going to have to see about bringing her in on the project."_

Mitsuki nodded with a smile, "What's even more amazing is that daddy only figured it out after the food he was cooking exploded in his face."

Meanwhile, as the science types gossiped about the amount of dimensions contained within the standard stall in a men's bathroom, the boys were embroiled in their own topics.

"So," said Toji conspiratorially, "how is it, Kazuki?"

Kensuke leaned in to better hear whatever gloriously detailed answer their new friend may regale them with. "Yeah man, tell!"

"How's what," asked Kazuki with no small measure of confusion.

"They mean sex," this time it was Shinji who spoke up. Like the others, he was fascinated as to what Kazuki's answer would be. But he wasn't so stupid as to actually look interested. "_The last thing I need is Misato waking up while we're talking about this. She wouldn't let it go for weeks." _Just thinking about his purple-haired roommate in conjunction with the current topic caused the Eva pilot to shift himself uncomfortably.

"Oh," muttered Kazuki in embarrassment. Instantly, he turned to make sure Mitsuki wasn't listening in on what they were talking about. The young woman didn't seem to have heard a single syllable, she was too engrossed in her conversation with Dr. Akagi to notice. Looking back at the guys who he was rapidly coming to think of as friends, he said, "Well its different."

"Oh come on man,'" whispered Toji. "Don't you dare hold out on us."

"You don't want to break the guy code, do you," asked Kensuke with a touch of menace. Well, with as much menace a bespectacled fourteen year old geek can manage.

Hastily, Kazuki recalled the conversation he had had with Dr's. Rara and Sanada. After the universes had merged, the two men seemed to have come to the conclusion that he needed to properly understand the ways of women. Of course, both men were scientists who had, thanks to the peculiarities of interdimensional shenanigans, been married to the same domineering woman. While Mitsuki Sanada was a different woman than Ayuko Rara, there were enough similarities to allow Kazuki to produce a reasonable mental image of what it could be like.

"Fine. It, is like people, no two are the same. But with Mitsuki, I like it. Though sometimes she'll decide I'm not doing something right and take control. After those times I'll usually have to deal with pulled muscles." Then with a glare that would have made Ayuko proud, he added, "And that's all you guys are getting from me."

Had Kazuki's audience been an older, more mature, lot they would have pressed him for a lot more detail. Toji and Kensuke were neither, and as such, what little the foreign man had said was enough to fill many a fevered dream, and wet sheets, for both of the boys.

It was just then that Hikari returned from the bathroom. "So, what did I miss?"

Seeing as he was the only one not caught in some hormone induced stupor, Kazuki decided to cover for his friends in he face of this feminine interloper. "We were just talking about how Gekiganger could kick Mazinger's ass." This statement served two purposes. The first was to rouse the others. And the second managed to completely sour Hikari on any further inquiries into their conversation topics..

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As the party continued without them, Makoto and Ifurita walked through the streets of their temporary home. For having been attacked only few days ago, the metropolis was surprisingly lively. While home for Makoto was now El-Hazard, being in a modern city felt refreshing; even if it was but a temporary respite. What made things all the sweeter was that it allowed him a proper opportunity to show his beloved the modern world.

But that goal was being blunted by Ifurita herself. Through their link her felt her worry and her unease. It had started back at the party, but Makoto had been too distracted by the merriment and Ifurita's own drunken acting. Steering their journey into the nearest alley, he looked at her with concern. "What's wrong, Ifurita?"

"It involves the personal information of another. I do not know if I should say," she muttered carefully.

"Well if its something that bothers you, you should probably tell me."

After a moment of further consideration Ifurita relented to her beloved's logic. "It involves Ms. Ayanami."

"What? Rei? She seemed nice enough to me."

"Yes, she was a well mannered individual. That is not my cause for alarm though. As you are aware, my original function was that of a war machine. In that capacity, I was programed to perform a scan of everyone I encounter to determine hostile intent and capabilities."

Makoto nodded, "Makes sense. You wouldn't want to be caught with your pants down if you took everyone at face value." It took but a moment for the various threads to coalesce in his mind. "Are you saying that something came up when you scanned Rei?"

"Indeed. Surface level scans yielded no hostile overtones. But her oddly shaded hair and eyes peaked my curiosity and I performed a more detailed analysis. According to her DNA and astral patterns, Ms. Ayanami is not entirely human. Furthermore, there appear to be signs that she was either genetically modified or is a wholly artificial being."

"_Well, that is interesting,_" thought Makoto. He had no idea that this place was so advanced they could make people. "How do you know someone made her?"

"Well if there is one thing that I have noticed about people who engage in such work, it is that they tend to have massive egos. Call it the rush of playing god, but, without fail, the men and women in question can not help but leave their own little mark on whatever they are doing. Sometimes the only evidence is a general cleaning up of the subject's genetic code. In cases such as Rei's though, whoever made her went so far as to actually leave a mark on each strand of DNA."

Makoto stood dumbfounded at this revelation. "Some guy actually left their name on the poor girl's genes?! That's monstrous."

"I can not agree any stronger, my love. Yet, there you have it."

"Well, what's the name there? Maybe we can find this guy and ask what the hell he was thinking."

The cyan-haired woman shook her head. "Sadly, there is no name. Only an icon exists to trace the culprit by." Before her love could ask about what the pictograph looked like, she sent the image to him via their link.

As the image formed in his mind, Makoto could not help but blink, such was his surprise. He had initially predicted some sort of brand logo or something. Instead, when Ifurita showed him what she had seen on the young girl's DNA, he didn't know what to think. The symbol consisted of a series of ten circles connected by lines. "What is that?"

"I have no idea. Though I am sure that it contains some significance to someone."

Makoto nodded absently, "Yeah. I guess. Shame it wasn't something that we could easily id."

"Indeed," muttered Ifurita softly. "Makoto, make no mistake, I will find the source of this icon."

"I know you will," smiled Makoto kindly. "But don't strain yourself okay? I mean this is supposed to be a vacation you know."

The former Demon God blushed, and graced her love with a wide smile. "Okay Makoto. I shall endeavor to maintain my good spirits."

Taking his love by the hand, Makoto walked out of the alley and back onto the sidewalks of Tokyo 3. As they wondered aimlessly, he couldn't help but marvel at the odd arrangements along the edges of many of the taller buildings. "Hmm, I wonder what those are for," he stated absently.

Casting her gaze to the region in question, Ifurita narrowed her eyes. With the cool precision of a machine, her sensors zoomed in on the mass of metal and concrete. "Hmm, that is odd. They appear to be embedded into the foundation of the buildings." Looking at the footings revealed even further mysteries. "Interesting. For some reason, there is a complicated rail system that extends down from the bottom of the building."

"Weird. Why would someone do that?"

"Well, given that these buildings were not in existence when we first arrived, I would have to surmise that these constructs hold it in place. Further, it is my opinion that the entire structure can be lowered into the ground as a protective measure."

"Again, why? The amount of money that would cost doesn't really make sense."

Ifurita shook her head. Such things did not make much sense to her either. She did have on theory though, "There is one possibility. Given the size of the diamond over the city when we arrived If that is typical of the opponents of this city, perhaps the buildings are such to limit the damage should a battle become a mele."

A shrug of Makoto's shoulders was the best reply he could mount. "I guess that's as good an answer as any." Deciding a change of subject of was in order, he briefly tightened his grip on his love's hand. "Well, we're in a new city, in a different universe, so, what would you like to do for fun?"

"Hmm," said Ifurita with a coy smile. "Well, I have never been to a movie theater, excepting what our memories produced. But, I would like to perform such an action in a real situation."

"Sounds perfect!" Giving his soul's delight a quick squeeze, Makoto looked around. "Okay, now to find a theater," he muttered.

Once again, Ifurita proved her utility. In an eye blink she hooked into the local computer network thanks to her on board radio transmitter. Streams of data passed before her vision as she located the central computer for the entire region. The upper levels of the mainframe allowed her instant access and soon a three dimensional schematic of the city was laid out before her. All the sites were detailed and the former Demon God learned that there was a theater no more than a mile from her present position.

The entire process took the same amount of time the average person dedicates to choosing what flavor coffee they will get at the local Starbucks. What held any real interest to her were the lower levels of the system she danced through. These were sealed up tighter than the protocols surrounding the Eye of God's primary core. As far as she could tell, this computer, which called itself the MAGI, had only one link from the upper portions to the lower ones. Though this allowed communication between the twin systems, Ifurita could also tell that such an obvious link was also a trap for anyone who wanted to get in and look around. "_Interesting. Something with this much security suggests a military application. Yet it is also used as a control unit for this metropolis. Well MAGI, you have now earned a place on my list._"

As such thoughts mulled around in what passed for her subconscious, Ifurita pointed down a street marked Calhoun. "If we go down that avenue for one point five miles we will find the closest cinema."

The time she took to find this information was so small that Makoto didn't worry about her silence. And when she actually produced the location in question, he just smiled and led them down the street. To him, his love was just the most marvelous of women and this was just another bit of evidence to prove it.

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As Makoto and Ifurita were settling into the second hour of their film, while the weekly Katsuragi ho-down was beginning to loose steam, in a dark and foreboding office a meeting was taking place.

Staring out across his ebony desk, Gendo speared his longtime tool with his impenetrable gaze. Rei stood before him as stoic as ever. He couldn't help but smile as she unflinchingly met his eyes. No one else, not even the professor, could do that, they were too terrified of him. Other men would feel a spark of shame or concern at such knowledge, but not Gendo. It just gave him a subtle rush that had been absent since Yui was lost to him.

Suddenly, his voice echoed through the chamber. "Report."

"Several hours ago," began Rei in her characteristically cold monotone, "I attended a social gathering at Captain Katsuragi's residence."

"Why?"

"She ordered me to attend," replied Rei coolly.

Next to his superior, Fuyutski could not help but smirk at that. "_You built Rei a little to well, didn't you Gendo._"

Hearing no further interruptions, Rei continued with her report. "The gathering was to celebrate the arrival of the spouse of one of the Captain's neighbors." Seeing the silent question in the eyes of her mentor, Rei elaborated. "Approximately one month ago, a Mitsuki Yotsuga arrived in Tokyo 3. She took up residence on one of the public floors of the Captain's building. From what I have gathered, since that time she and Captain Katsuragi have maintained a close friendship. This precipitated the gathering.

During the course of my time there, I had a encounter with Yotsuga's husband Kazuki."

"An encounter?"

"Yes. I passed him in the hall and my gaze caught his." Before she could suppress it, Rei shuddered at the memory. "I saw something there that evoked a response similar to when the last Angel was defeated."

This did disturb Gendo. Thanks to drugs and training, he had conditioned emotional responses out of Rei. That she had expressed it at the same time Unit-01 went berserk was a subject of interest for him. But seeing her visibly show an emotional state in response to a memory was both interesting and a cause for concern. A quick response was that he should just dispatch this Rei and activate the third. Such an option was quickly cast aside. This Kazuki Yotsuga had invoked a strong negative response in her. Further study would be needed to see if he would pose an obstacle to the plan. "Rei. Until further notice, your orders are to maintain a close relationship with Yotsuga. Any and all information will be reported back to me. Understood?"

For the second time in such a short time, Rei was unable to stop her body from shaking. Despite the fear that welled up in her in response to her most resent orders, she nodded and began to walk out of the commander's office.

As his creating left the room, Gendo turned to his subordinate. "Opinion?"

"Rei's reaction is unsettling. That it is in further reaction to the thing that destroyed the last Angel is highly suspect. I would bring Yotsuga in for examination,."

Gendo imperceptibly shook his head, "Not just yet Fuyutski. The anomaly poses a x-factor in the scenario. Anything remotely connected to it demands further attention."

"How does this affect the plan Ikari?

"For now we act as if there had been no change. That will keep the old men happy and off our backs. In the interim, we will watch Yotsuga's every move. Should he be behind the Object, we may be able to use it to ensure that we have the power should the old men move against us."

"And what if he won't let us," asked Fuyutski wearily.

"Then we already know his weakness. Don't we."

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In the Yotsuga apartment, Kazuki and Mitsuki were getting ready for a peaceful night's sleep. Kazuki was already in bed awaiting the arrival of his "wife." For her part, Mitsuki was, as usual, taking her time to wash and dry her body. Had he been back home, Kazuki would just have preferred to go to sleep for the night. Unfortunately, depending on your viewpoint, now that he shared a bed with Mitsuki, he had to wait until she got settled before finding an appropriate place to sleep. So, no matter what he may have wanted, Kazuki was resigned to staying wide awake.

Luckily, he wasn't forced to wait too long. Eventually, Mitsuki entered the bed room looking refreshed and, if Kazuki had anything to say about it, absolutely gorgeous. "Feeling better," he asked from his spot on the bed.

Sigh, "You know it. Nothing is better for the mind than a clean body," she proclaimed happily.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." As Mitsuki made her way across the room and towards her side of the bed, Kazuki had a hard time trying not to follow her every move. The way she moved was looking more and more sensual to his eyes. Though they had only been living together a few days, Kazuki was finding it harder and harder not to think lustful thoughts about his roommate. Before, he had managed to ignore such feelings thanks to the presence of Dr. Sanada and the others. This playing house thing that she had set up was doing a number on him and he was seriously worried that soon he may not have the will to pretend anymore.

Such thoughts were quickly banished when, as Mitsuki was getting into bed, she said, "I'm surprised you took the first shower."

"Why?"

Mitsuki smiled wickedly, "I though you'd let me have it. Or were you afraid I'd pull some of your muscles?"

In an instant Kazuki felt like he was at the center of one of Zinv's black holes. "Y you heard that?"

"Ha ha! Yeah I did," she said with a smile. Soon though, it became a tad warmer. "Don't worry I'm not mad."

He couldn't help but blink at that, "You aren't?"

"No. You managed to keep to the story in the face of stress. Though," she added with a light punch to her "husband's" arm, "you really shouldn't tell people about our sex life." What ever she may have said next was completely covered up by the uncontrollable laughter that griped her upon seeing the look on Kazuki's face.

For a good minute, Kazuki just stared at the wildly cackling form of Mitsuki. Soon though, her laughter began to find a hold on him as well and he began to join her. The pair continued that way long into the night before sleep finally claimed them both.

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Author's Notes: Well another chapter in the can. Some of you probably thought that I had forgotten about this story, hadn't you. I know this has zero action but oh well. Not everything can be all guns and mecha, sometimes people have to talk. Don't worry though, there will be some action soon enough as the crew have to face the perils of Jet Alone and Gaghiel. Mainly, this chapter was set up material for the future.

By the way, Mitsuki's power was planed from an early point in the story. To me, it seemed to be the only way for her to get situated in a new world so easily. Plus, it allows me a bit of deus ex machina, and I always love doing that. :) Kazuki will be getting a power of his own. One could argue that Zinv is power enough, but I will be giving him one that will complement their activities in the Eva universe.

Now one area I am sure some people will take exception is Ifurita. There are an astonishing amount of things she does in this chapter, many of which were not said in the show. Honestly though, El-Hazard, despite being an awesome anime, had very little information about the technology of the Ancients in that world. The only examples of their technology are the Lamps, Ifurita, and the Eye of God. That, on itself, is very little to go from. So I am operating on the basis that certain things would have to be available to the Ancients for them to be able to build such devices. From there, I try to use a bit of logic and what would sound cool. Don't worry, I will have some limits on her. Just not a lot >:-)

Well, that's all for this edition of Author's Notes. Stay tuned for further installments.

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


	5. The Opening Moves

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 4 – The Opening Moves

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It was the first Sunday after the party at Misato's, and the local extra-dimensional travelers were gathered, once again, around Kazuki and Mitsuki's dinner table. Today, the meal was lunch and between idle chatter the sounds of utensils against plates could be heard.

"So Makoto, when do you start your job," asked Kazuki between bites.

After downing the above average tea Mitsuki had prepared to accompany the meal, Makoto said, "Tomorrow. Turns out there was a position open at the school thanks to Angel attacks."

Everyone at the table went silent at that. It had taken some time, and some really roundabout questioning, but the quartet had finally found out what these "Angels" were. No one in the apartment really bought into the assumption that the creatures were messengers of God. As Ifurita had put it in her oh so subtle way, "Gods like to seem attractive." Seeing as the giant diamond Kazuki had destroyed was designated an Angel, it was the general consensus that, who ever was sending the things, it certainly not God.

This time it was Mitsuki who asked a question. "Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

Makoto pushed out a lungful of air in a ragged gasp. "God am I ever. I mean, back on El-Hazard the only ones I had to talk to about science was Dr. Schtalubaugh and the other guys at the Science Academy. Either they knew what I was talking about or I was so far ahead of them that they just nodded their heads and walked away. How am I supposed to teach some kids anything meaningful about science."

Kazuki shrugged, "I have no idea. My high level science knowledge was basically force fed to me by Dr's. Sanada and Rara. And my teachers at home just droned on about this atom or that moving body."

"The best I can tell you, Makoto, is to make it fun for them." Added Mitsuki weakly. In her case, she had been taught the subject since she was born, thanks to her father. There were probably a handful of people on this entire planet who had as firm a grip on it as she did.

Before Makoto, or anyone else for that matter, could respond, Ifurita's Power Key Staff flew from its place against the wall and began to hover at one end of the table. The blue spheres along the staff's length glowed softly with power.

During the course of the meal Ifurita had been fairly reserved in her conversational abilities. Most had chocked her silence up to her lack of modern social experiences. Now though, that was being called into question as all eyes turned to her and saw that the ex-Demon God was sitting ramrod straight.

Even Makoto, who shared a link with the cyan-haired beauty, could not pierce the impenetrable wall she had erected. "What's wrong Ifurita?"

"The staff is now in dampening mode. We can not be heard while this is active," she intoned.

Instantly, both Kazuki and Mitsuki felt their hearts in their throats. Many a sensitive conversation had been uttered in this place. If someone had heard that then all the secrecy in the world would have been for naught.

"But I checked for bugs," said Mitsuki worriedly. It was true. Though she wasn't about to be rid of this apartment just because of its military origin, the young dimension hopper had given the place a good once over. While Akane was not technically her mother, the woman had begun to fill that role in Mitsuki's life. From the former U.N. officer, she learned much about how government agencies worked. The main point Akane had tried to impress upon them all was, "Just because they aren't watching you doesn't mean there is no one listening." So, Mitsuki had become quite adept at detecting and neutralizing bugs. After all, even if the government wasn't spying on her, Yayoi sure as hell was.

For the first time in the conversation Ifurita looked human again. "I am not saying there are any listening devices. All I implying is that the likelihood such things existing in this place has increased greatly."

"Why," asked Kazuki.

"We are presently living within a single massive military complex." Seeing the looks of befuddlement on her comrades faces, Ifurita elaborated. "You all know that my sensor package allows me to see things that others do not. Coupled with the dimensional tunneling abilities I gained via the Eye of God, my sensors are even more robust than before."

"And," asked Mitsuki kindly. At times she really didn't appreciate the woman's elabratory acumen.

"Well, during a walk with Makoto dear several days ago, we noticed that many of the buildings have odd structures attached to them. So, while he slept, I flew around the city further employing my sensory capabilities. Other than the outer edges of the city, all of Tokyo 3 is a free-floating structure built over an enormous depression in the earth."

Everyone at the table stared at Ifurita wide eyed. They may not be engineering specialists but each knew that such a thing as she described was a structure that bordered on the insane and reveled in the impractical. "Why would anyone build such a monster project," muttered Kazuki with a touch of awe.

Ifurita nodded with the sentiment. "I agree, it would be massive waste of time and resources when you consider the city by itself. But, that is not all I found."

"There's more," yelled Mitsuki in shock.

"At the bottom of the depression, there is a rather deep facility. Most of it seemed rather innocuous to me. That was until I saw that there were a trio of positively huge cybernetic machines stationed on one level and even deeper down there was an equally large fully organic life form. All four appeared to be in a state of hibernation. There existence though, leads to several hypothesizes. One: the "Angel" Kazuki dispatched, given its size and in comparison to the objects below us, was actually a product of that facility. Mitsuki's order to Kazuki along with our own intelligence does not bear that theory out though. Two: the large bodies are a part of large weapon system to combat these "Angels". This is most likely given the information at hand. This leads to the final hypothesis. This entire city is nothing more than a massive armored shell to protect or hide the facility below."

Everyone at the table mulled those thoughts over and tried to find any fault with Ifurita's logic. The first to speak was Mitsuki.

"I understand what you're saying, and it makes sense. But why? I mean, when Kazuki and I fought the Rara Army we were always told ahead of time when and where and attack would happen. I doubt giant floating diamonds put out trailers." Just the thought of such a thing made everyone laugh at the absurdity of it.

"I agree. A stationary defense position makes little sense unless you hypothesize that there is some reason to attack this place." Ifurita allowed her companions a few moments to analyze her words before moving on to the next revelation. "That was not all I found in my searches."

"What else could there be," asked Makoto worriedly.

"It involves Zinv," she said gravely as she speared Kazuki with her gaze.

Instantly a cold grip wrapped itself around Kazuki's heart. Zinv was a part of him, and any threat to it terrified him beyond belief. "W,what's wrong with him."

"On a whim, I scanned the region where you had your battle. You can imagine my surprise when I found the dimensional equivalent of a bruise in the fabric of the universe."

"That could have been from Kazuki's arrival into the universe," retorted Mitsuki.

"I shared a similar hypothesis. So I proceeded to examine the area where Makoto and I arrived for a similar "bruise". Instead of any damage, I actually found that the vicinity was more stable than anywhere else."

"So I can't use the black hole anymore."

"Only here. I would surmise that the damage was the result of Zinv's extra-dimensional nature. You probably caused nothing but a minor ripple where you came from."

"Ifurita is right," offered Mitsuki as she laid a hand on her friend's arm. "Remember, daddy was worried about damage too, yet he found not a single thing."

Kazuki perked up at that. "Thanks Mitsuki."

"So, he can't use the I win button. Is there anything else he has to worry about," asked Makoto.

"Not at this time," replied Ifurita with a friendly smile. "Though, I will continue to monitor the area and report any new developments." After a moment she added, "I am sorry if this upset you Kazuki."

"Don't worry about it. If you hadn't told me, Zinv and I might have accidentally ripped this place in half."

Before any further topics of discussion could present themselves, the chime of the doorbell rang throughout the apartment. Given their prior conversation, everyone at the table was reasonably on guard for any attack. All eyes turned to Ifurita, who was starring at the front of the apartment with laser-like intensity.

After a moment, her military demeanor softened and the Power Key Staff moved back to where it had initially rested. "It is just Shinji."

Suddenly, everyone was smiling as Mitsuki walked to greet the shy young man. Since meeting Shinji and his roommate, Misato, the dimensional refuges had taken a re liking to the pair. None of them had missed the subtle glances that the two had cast towards the other when they weren't looking. In fact, the progress of Shinji and Misato was a subject of much discussion between the quartet.

With all the acting skill inherent to her biological mother's side of her genetics, Mitsuki put on a show of being pleasantly surprised as she opened the door. "Oh Shinji! It's so good to see you."

Shinji's demeanor visibly brightened with Mitsuki's greeting. He had heard the words from others before, but she was one of the few people who actually seemed to mean it. "Hi Mitsuki."

"Can you come in for a while? I'm sure everyone would like to say hi," said Mitsuki with a warm smile.

Shinji nodded happily. "I would love to. Thanks."

"You're always welcome here," she replied as she gently pulled the younger boy inside.

With Mitsuki's assuring words still echoing in his ears, Shinji turned the corner to see the smiling faces of his new friends. "Hi," he said with smile equal to those which surrounded him.

Kazuki got up and shook the younger man's head. "Hi man. Want to join us?"

Looking over at the table, Shinji saw a spread that made made his mouth water. The warm welcoming feelings rolling off the others only made him want to join in all the more. But, before he could accept the heartfelt invitation, his timid side reared its ugly head. "W,well, I wouldn't want to impose." Suddenly, he felt a pair of soft hands seize hold of him. Shinji knew those appendages well. A glance back confirmed that instinctual knowledge. "Mitsuki?"

"Now what have I said about that," she asked with motherly rebuke.

Shinji ducked his head and blushed. Since he had met her, Mitsuki had taken a special interest in making him stand up for himself and feel comfortable around others. The way she did it though was not so forceful as some had tried. At every instance, he felt as if she was trying to encourage him as a mother would. It was slow going, and often he would slip back into old habits, but a sense of confidence was growing within him.

Raising his head, Shinji saw that everyone was looking at him with expectant smiles. Feeling a renewed sense of warmth, he nodded. "Sure. I'd love to."

The room was filled with resounding cheer as he was gently pushed into the seat at the end of the table. Before he knew what was going on, a plate of food was placed before him. Like a heavenly breeze, the aroma from the meal wafted across his senses. As the first piece of Mitsuki's mouth-watering cooking touched his palate, Shinji could not help but moan with delight. "_God, she makes my cooking look like Misato's_," he marveled. Where another may have formed envious thoughts with such a revelation, Shinji just looked forward to learning at the feet of such a culinary master. "Mitsuki, you've done it again."

"So, I've heard," she quipped with a smile. Instantly, the young man blushed, but, to her joy, he did not turn away.

The quintet spent the next few minutes in comfortable silence as food was consumed. But, despite the silence, everyone was deeply curious as too the motivation behind the day's visit Finally, it was Kazuki who asked the question they were all thinking. "So, Shinji, what brings you by?"

Looking up from his meal, Shinji couldn't forestall a blush of embarrassment. He had completely forgotten that he had come here for a reason. "Oh yeah. Misato wanted me to ask you two something."

"Oh," asked Mitsuki, her curiosity peaked.

"She has to go to some cooperate event tomorrow, and she was hoping I could stay here with you two."

"Misato worried that her Eva pilot will burn down the apartment," joked Makoto with a grin.

"No," he replied with a matching smile. "She trained Pen-Pen pretty well for that." To his happiness, the joke garnered its fair share of laughter from all at the table. "She was just worried that I might get lonely, and she wanted to make sure that wouldn't happen."

"Well, I think we can make sure you are cared for, right Mitsuki."

"That's right Kazuki. Why, when you leave here you will be sick of us," proclaimed the woman proudly.

As she raised her cup to her lips, Ifurita mumbled, "Too late," to which everyone broke down in laughter. It wasn't often that the Demon God cracked a joke, but when she did, she proved to possess a comedic timing which was unparalleled.

Looking at the laughing young man whom she had befriended a little over a month ago, Mitsuki felt an almost motherly swelling of pride. Shinji was her personal project and his development had been a source of stability as she waited for Kazuki's arrival. The going had been slow, his pain ran deep, but somehow it seemed worth it. For a while, she had feared that Shinji would backslide with the sudden influx of people. But to her amazement, he seemed to actually flourish among his new friends.

And in his own quiet way, Shinji had grown on them all. From Kazuki to Ifurita and everyone in between, each in their group saw something in Shinji that drew them to the boy. The smiles and camaraderie were not faked in the least. It was as if they had all adopted him into their odd extended family.

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Much later, Shinji found himself dancing towards his apartment. The last event of evening had been a bout of karaoke and one of the songs Ifurita had sung still echoed in his mind. She always seemed to Shinji a tad distant, like a much friendlier Rei. But when she had taken the microphone for her turn, the song she sang was absolutely beautiful. It had enraptured him to the point that, even now, Shinji felt compelled to dance.

So enthralled was he that, as he danced and hummed throughout the apartment he shared with Misato, Shinji completely forgot the possibility of an audience. After the climax of one particularly difficult dance step, he was bent over as if he was dipping a woman. Suddenly, he was broken from his revelry by the sound of vibrant clapping. As he fell onto the ground in a heap, Misato's warm, hearty, voice spoke to him.

"I take it you had a good time," she laughed as she bent over to help up the young man who had become such an integral part to her life. Since she had meet Shinji, he had always had this air of sadness about him. It was even there when he was around Kensuke and Toji. That wall had been lifting with the arrival of Mitsuki and the others, but she had never seen such a joyously carefree attitude exhibited by him. If she didn't know better, Misato could almost believe that Shinji was under the influence of some sort of drug to attain the high she was seeing.

"Misato," he gasped out as he was pulled up. "You startled me."

"Sorry Shinji," replied the purple-haired woman sheepishly. "But you were so deep there that anything would have done that."

"I guess so," chuckled Shinji with embarrassment. "And yes, I did have fun. Its a shame you couldn't have come."

Misato sighed, "Yeah. It sucks that I had to be at NERV for that. But I guess it can't be helped." Pulling him over to the couch, she said, "So what did they say?"

The young man smiled at the warm reaction he received to his request. "They said they would be happy to have me over."

A sudden pumping of fists and a loud whoop was Misato's initial response. "Freaking sweet! That's awesome. Now I don't have to feel so bad about leaving you tomorrow." Everything falling into place so easily was a welcome occurrence, and the warm smile on Shinji's face stirred her heart. But, just as she was about to say something, a long yawn broke loose from her.

"Maybe you should go to bed," offered Shinji. "You have a big day tomorrow. And you don't want to be snoring at the table during the conference. They'd probably arrest you for using biological weapons," he finished with a grin.

A gasp of shocked outrage escaped from Misato. "Grrr. Why you little." Grabbing a pillow from beside her, the captain used it to hit her companion upside the head. The first two hits managed to land on Shinji's head and shoulders, but the third was blocked by the Third Child's retaliatory strike. Before she knew what was happening, Shinji's fingers were up under her armpit. Suddenly, she lost every ounce of voluntary muscle control as the young man mercilessly tickled her. "Ha ha ha. Oh god Shinji . . . ha ha . . . stop!"

Feeling his justice done, said man ceased his actions and stood. "Just remember that next time. Well, I am going to head for the shower."

"pant pant Okay Shinji." Though the attack had stopped, Misato remained where he had left her, laying back on the couch. As the young man left the room, the entire incident played itself out in her mind. And there, among the wild gyrations, Shinji had actually made contact with her breast. "_Mmm_," she thought, "_who would have thought that being tickled would feel so good_."

000000000

In a relentless downpour, the hot water of the shower beat against Shinji. Working the dirt and dead flesh from his body, the young man's mind was back in Mitsuki's apartment. The whole experience was something like he had never felt before. Sure, there had been instances in the past where he felt happy. And, like with Kensuke and Toji, he had felt a sense of camaraderie. Yet, he had never really felt at home with a group of people, like he really and truly belonged; until now that is. When he turned that corner and saw them all sitting at the table, it was like they were his family welcoming him to dinner. "_Not even my own father treated me that nice_," he thought angrily.

Those people downstairs didn't care whether or not he could pilot Eva. They didn't even wear the false smiles so common to those who had tended to his needs in the past. Each talked to him as if he had always been a part of their group, not just some easily controlled puppet. "Its like they're family," he muttered absently while soaping up his leg.

Suddenly, Shinji froze. In his mind, those four words were being examined by every neuron of his psyche. It was tossed and turned. Other pieces of information were brought forward for comparison. Slowly, Shinji began to understand the truth of such a simple statement. Each of those people, in the short time he knew them, had become more of a family to him than his father or the people who raised him. After testing that thought like a new coat, Shinji smiled widely.

A family. People who cared for his well-being. Each tried to guide and support him. They even protected him, if only from the demons life had conjured within him. And he would do the same. He was the pilot of Eva Unit-01, woe be to those who sought to harm his family.

000000000

"Tell me, why does she have hair while the rest of her species does not?"

Shinji pulled his gaze from the television tolook at Ifurita who was sitting on the couch next to him. "What, Delenn? She used a device to turn herself partially human."

"Ah. Why?" Though she had reasons for why she would undergo such a change, the character's thoughts on the matter were not clear to her.

"According to her beliefs, the souls of her people were being born in Human bodies. By changing into a partial human it was her hope to make it so that the souls would stop filtering to the Humans," explained Shinji knowingly.

"Interesting. If I may ask, why do you know so much about this program?"

"What, Babylon 5? I've loved the show for years."

"Why?" Despite the fondness she had for the young man, Ifurita knew relatively little about him.

Shinji looked back towards the screen in thought. Delenn was standing within a column of light as the heat of the Starfire Wheel was bearing down upon her. "I guess I always felt that it was more real than life. Like, when I watched them, I was seeing humanity as it should be. A nobler, and better people than most of what I see around me."

Ifurita weighed the young man's words carefully. Finally, she asked, "Does that include us?"

The question actually startled Shinji. Not from the suddenness of the words but the connotation behind them. Ifurita and the rest were so far away from the rest of humanity it was almost as if they too had jumped from some fairy tale story. He was about to set the record straight when his cell phone rang. Quickly retrieving the device from his pocket, Shinji gasped when he saw the large **EMERGENCY** scrawled across its screen. "H,hello?"

"Shinji," it was Misato's voice yelling out to him. It sounded like she was surrounded by people screaming orders at one another. "Where are you?"

"Mitsuki's place. Ifurita and I are watching B5."

"Great! Listen, someone from Section Two will be there soon to pick you up. There's a problem with this stupid hunk o' junk and we need your help to stop it. I'll tell you the rest when you get here."

"O,okay. I'll be there. S,stay safe Misato."

In his mind's eye, Shinji could see the woman's confident smirk and raised thumb. "You got it Shinji!" With that, the line went dead.

As soon as the conversation stopped, Shinji was in motion, grabbing his bag and other necessary supplies. "There is an emergency, they need me to pilot," he stated to the still seated Ifurita." He was heading towards the door when their prior conversation filtered back into his mind. Pivoting on one foot, Shinji turned back and rushed over to her. Awkwardly, he wrapped his arms around the woman. With his head buried in her shoulder, he whispered, "You're so much better than a tv show."

Ifurita smiled softly and returned the hug with equal emotion. As Shinji ran to meet the agents at the door, she said, "So are you Shinji."

Once the young man left the apartment, Ifurita blurred into motion. From across the room her staff flew into her outstretched hand. A thought later and she was swimming in a field of EM radiation. Computers were hastily calling up information and readying an enormous package onto a jet at a nearby airfield. Military com chatter told the story quite clearly. Apparently, a mechanical device, code named Jet Alone, was running amok in a direction that would take it towards a major population center. By itself, that would not seriously alarm the bionic woman. What worried her was the berserker's power source. The ancients of El-Hazard had once worked with nuclear power but quickly found it lacking in terms of power generation, plus there were many harmful consequences that made the choice even less palatable. From the communication, it was clear that whatever esoteric fuel source it used, the area within Jet Alone' blast would be irradiated until sometime after the sun went cold.

"That can not be allowed," she intoned firmly. With a thought, she sent a message about the situation to her beloved. As she did so, Ifurita made her way towards the patio. By the time she opened the outside door, the mechanical woman had faded from all possible means of detection. Effortlessly, the Demon God lifted off and sped towards the walking disaster.

In spite of the very real danger she was barreling towards it, Ifurita felt a giddy surge. Flight, had always been one of her primary powers, it was part of the basic Demon God package. Yet, in all her years of service, she had never really enjoyed the sensation of flight. It had just been something she did. The pattern of air currents and the subtle interplay between pressure systems and condensed water were facts. No beauty had resided there. In the old days, she had heard poets wax about the wonders of flight, but she never really understood their words beyond the mere individual definitions. That was before her other life though.

Thanks to her wondrous Makoto, she had lived a whole lifetime as a mortal woman. She knew what it was like to look up and wonder how it would feel to dance among the heavens. So, as the air currents ripped past her at nearly the speed of sound, Ifurita could not help but laugh joyfully.

Eventually, Ifurita's merriment came to halt as the ponderous form of the Jet Alone strode into view. Even from a distance, she could feel the heat pounding off the lumbering automaton. Though it was well within her tolerances, it only illustrated the dire need to stop the thing. Luckily, for the unaware citizenry of the nearby city, Ifurita had the tools to deal with the situation.

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Within the ruins of the Jet Alone hangar, Ritsuko Akagi was furiously hammering away upon her laptop. Those who looked at her would assume that she was devoting her energies to helping the control team stop the walking nuke they called a protector. They would be devastatingly wrong though. As her fingers danced across the keyboard, they worked carefully to block the efforts of the very same people she was assumed to help.

When Gendo had first approached her with this possibly treasonous plan, Ritsuko had been riding a post orgasmic high. As his chest rumbled with every word, she had been positively enraptured. At that point, she would have probably agreed to anything, but she was doubly damned since Gendo's logic had been inescapable. Jet Alone was a threat to NERV. Had it appeared viable in the slightest, the JSDF would have jumped on it, if only to hold the weapon over NERV's heads in the UN. But the robot couldn't possibly be viable. Without the A.T. field, there was no possible way the lumbering altar to mankind's technological folly could successfully attack an Angel. So, in order to prove the superiority of NERV, Ritsuko hacked Jet Alone and sent it on this rampage.

Her progress in egging the "good name" of the Jet Alone people was brought to a halt by a litany of shocked gasps. Several feet away, someone cried out, "LOOK!"

Across the room, on the lopsided plasma screen, a dark mass of air was approaching the slow moving Jet Alone. As the outer edge began to buffet the machine, someone called out, "The outer skin is cooling off!"

"Confirmed! I am seeing signs that the heat curve has begun to decrease. It's slow, but noticeable."

Ritsuko ignored the joyous cries around her and focused her attention on her laptop once more. The nameless tech was right. Somehow, an immense mass of cold air was actually cooling down the nuclear core. Luckily, for the plan, the reduction could be combated by a simple increase in the reactor's output. Just as her finger hovered over the execute key, yet another yell sounded out. As she turned to the screen once again, she repeated the cry, "What the hell?!"

Out in front of the Jet Alone, a massive, mile-long, crevice shuddered open. Cameras on board of the rampaging device showed clearly that the gash had opened up a underground aquifer and millions of gallons of water began to fill it. Given the natural, smooth, slope the lumbering Jet Alone walked silently into the watery chasm. Predictably, the cool liquid immediately burst into steam upon contact with the superheated shell. Despite that, all thermal sensors showed a further decline in reactor temperature.

At the sight, all Ritsuko could do is slowly shake her head. What she was witnessing was absolutely impossible. Giant fissures don't open without any appreciable tectonic activity. And given the way the ground collapsed, a sinkhole couldn't possibly be the explanation. Even more impossible were the air currents. Somehow their inherently chaotic nature had been reigned in to move in an ordered manner. Nowhere on the planet had weather research reached the small scale production of repeatable rain or snow. It was only with the advent of next generation thinking supercomputers that anything approaching accurate predictions were being made. The only possible explanation for such control was a meta-presence. Or, for lack of a better term, God.

Knowing that she was beaten, the faux blond activated the shut down program NERV spies had installed within Jet Alone. "Okay," she muttered, "you win."

000000000

Doctor Akagi was wrong, it wasn't a God that thwarted hr efforts, it was a Demon God. As Ifurita watched Jet Alone's temperature plummet, she smiled tiredly. Though the hyper-matter spring that powered her could put out massive mounts of power, such macro manipulation of the elements taxed even her systems. Just barely holding herself aloft while maintaining the EM cloak, Ifurita floated erratically towards Makoto. Still, her speed was reduced to something like one hundred miles per hour; a virtual crawl compared to her usual speeds. Luckily, she had not needed to tap into her emergency reserves, but it was going to be close.

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Within classroom 2-A of the Tokyo 3 Middle School, Makoto Mizuhara quietly worked to organize the course schedule for the coming weeks. According to the notes left by his predecessor, little actual teaching was performed. For the most part, students studied on their own and took a test once a week to prove their knowledge. To Makoto, such a meager teaching regimen bordered on the criminal. So, it was an arduous task to craft a suitable plan to invest in his students a real love for education.

Those pursuits were brought to a screeching halt once Ifurita's worried thoughts came streaming through their bond. Not giving a care to even saving his work, Makoto bolted from his desk. Luckily, the school was practically empty, otherwise they would have seen him running through the halls like the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels. _"Thanks Mr. Fujisawa,"_ he thought as he ate up the stairs two and three at a time. With a eighty heave, Makoto shoved open the roof door.

Temporarily, the bright sunlight blinded him. But he could have his eyes removed and still know where his beloved was. Not caring what witnesses may see, he threw out his arms as if he was about to embrace someone. He held that pose for a few moments before staggering backwards with an, "Omph."

The invisible form in Makoto's arms slowly came into view and revealed the exhausted form of Ifurita. "Thanks," she muttered into his shoulder.

"Hey, this gives me my chance to be your white knight," he said with a smile. And he did mean it. Normally their relationship placed them in situations where he was the one who had to be saved. So the change was a welcome one.

The Demon God giggled softly as she tightened her arms around her Makoto. The danger, in her mind, had passed and now she could return to being a relatively normal person.

000000000

As Ifurita floated lazily towards her love, two others were aloft in th sky's bosom. In one of NERV's massive black Eva transports, Shinji Ikari and Misato Katsuragi sat across from one another. A few minutes ago the air had been tense as both waited anxiously for the sortie order. That tension faded when the news came in that the rogue battle giant had been dispatched by a freakish act of god.

Sitting in the stifling rad suit, Misato sighed.

Hearing the woman's display of discomfort, Shinji looked up worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Oh its just this damn suit," she groaned while waving a hand in a desperate attempt to cool off. "It's hot as hell."

Shinji looked around the cabin. "There any water around here?"

"'fraid not. This was just designed to transport the Eva. Creature comforts weren't in the budget. And before you ask, no I don't have any clothes to change into."

From his side Shinji grabbed the bag with his clothes in it. "You can use my shirt if you want," he offered softly.

"No offense Shinji, but that wouldn't exactly fit me." To emphasize her point, Misato thrust out her chest and smiled at the blush that spread across the young man's face.

Though covered by the radiation suit, Shinji got a good image of her rather impressive bust line. Despite the heat suffusing his face, Shinji couldn't seem to tear his gaze away; which only added to his embarrassment. Still, among the torrid thoughts running through his mind, one useful one popped to the fore. "W,why don't you wear it backwards. At least it would cooler."

Shinji's plan ran around Misato's mind or a few moments before she smiled widely. "Great plan Shinji. That'd be perfect."

With a smile, Shinji handed his shirt to the older woman. Once the garment had been transfered, he politely turned away to give his friend some privacy. That meant that he had to rely on his teenage imagination to visualize what Misato looked like as she changed into his shirt. Thankfully, he had a surplus of scantily clad moments from which to draw. The Misato in his mind was just about to unhook her bra when the real one called out his name.

The Captain sat with a wide smile as the upper half of her rad suit sat in a crumpled pile next to her. Shinji's white button up was spread across her front and it left little doubt as to whether or not she had worn a bra on that day. In fact, the garment was was rendered almost transparent by the copious amount of sweat adhering to her flesh. "Oh god! That is way better. Thanks Shinji!"

"Y,you're welcome," he stammered out. "I'm just glad I could help."

Misato smiled softly. "You do that a lot for me these days. Though I'm happy to see you smile more."

If it was possible, that made him blush more than the previous erotic imagery. "I,I,I hadn't noticed."

"Well I have, and so have others. Ritsuko even said that your sync ratio has gone up a few points."

At the mention of business, Shinji's smile dipped a little and he sat a tad straighter. "I've been working some things out in my head."

This peaked Misato's curiosity. "Really? Like what?"

Shinji shrugged, "The big questions. Who am I? What do I want? Where am I going? Why do I pilot?"

Misato blinked at the young man's words. That was rather deep for someone his age. "And what have you figured out?"

"Not much," he laughed. "I'm only 14. But I know now why I pilot Eva."

By this point Misato was practically bursting with intrigue. For so long, her Shinji had always looked so pensive at the mention of that infernal machine. Any improvement on that front was greatly welcomed. That she had thought of him as "her Shinji" went completely unremarked by Misato's psyche. "Come on Shinji! Enough with the twenty questions."

"I have a family, and I need to do my best to keep them safe," he said softly.

Misato smiled, happy to see the young introvert admit something like that. "I think I know who all you are talking about," images of Mitsuki and the others filled her mind. "And I'm glad you have them." She meant it too, still Misato couldn't help but feel a tiny bit depressed that she wasn't included in their number.

The old Shinji, the young man who had stood along a road waiting for some unknown woman, would have never said the first statement. What came next though was hard even for this newer Shinji. Still, he could almost hear Mitsuki's gentle, but forceful, voice egging him on. "I,I,I have y,you too." A deep blush suffused Shinji's cheeks at that admission.

Said blush was shared by Misato as well. A part of her wanted to make a snarky remark; in fact one hell of a good zinger sat on the tip of her tongue. That was deftly pushed aside in favor of a surge of warm feelings the young man's words had engendered in her. Slowly, a large smile curled across her lips. "Thank you Shinji," she replied warmly.

A soft silence descended upon the cabin. Only the constant hum of the transport's engines floated among the quiet. Yet, neither Misato nor Shinji felt ill at ease with the situation. The lack of words was warm and comforting for both souls as the dark aircraft sped towards a NERV airfield.

000000000

Within a dark room located high in the NERV pyramid Gendo Ikari sat impassively. His glasses, a source of discomfort for all who interacted with him, reflected images of the impossible. Weather patterns swirled around a mechanical giant as if they were under the influence of some unseen Olympian deity. Overlaid across the scenes were readouts from the MAGI supercomputers on what satellite, and ground-based, weather sensors had recorded of the event. Though his degrees lay in fields such as bio-engineering and other specialties needed for building the Evangelions, he was not so uninformed as to not realize that what he was witnessing was simply impossible according to modern science.

Thanks to his contacts within the Committee, and the vast spy network he had amassed as head of NERV, there was little being researched on the planet that he did not have some knowledge about. Most lines of examination dealt with increasing food production for the remaining arable land. Other ones, such as the now scrapped Jet Alone, had been dealt with, one way or another. Nothing though, not even a scientific paper, had even scrapped the surface of the theories or technologies needed for such vastly precise control over the weather. Not even the seemingly limitless amount of power that was being produced in an S2 engine seemed to be sufficient to control such an inherently chaotic system.

Yet, there was the proof in front of him. Proof that was backed by witnesses. So, the question then became, what to do next? This incident, like the one surrounding the mysterious agressor who dispatched the 5th Angel, did not fall within the information found in the Dead Sea Scrolls. That in of itself was disturbing. In general, the scenario had a great deal of wiggle room built in to account for the chaos that existed in any situation where humans existed. Unfortunately, the events were beyond the bounds of even his carefully laid plans. Still, the scenario had served him well so far, and the ultimate goal of the Jet Alone sabotage had been reached. So, for now, he was content with waiting for a pattern to emerge from the chaos.

From beside Gendo, Fuyutsuki watched with open awe. Like his student he knew the impossibilities surrounding what he saw. But the main focus of his thoughts was how it would impact he scenarios crafted by Gendo and the Committee. For years, the plans made by those who saw themselves as his betters had unnerved him to no end. At first, the prospect of immortality for mankind seemed like a noble and worth while goal; that was before the price made itself known. The world of the Second Impact was horrible beyond reasoned description. His grandnephews and nieces had been born into that world. It as easy to think o the future as something for adults only when that was all that existed in the little world one created for themselves. Fuyutsuki saw the faces of those children though, he saw the joy as their granduncle visited with wondrous gifts and stories of a Japan that saw snow with equal measure to the Sun.

Looking down at the former ruffian, the professor said, "Interesting development, eh Ikari?"

Gendo did not answer the old man, instead he speared his subordinate with a direct look. "Dr. Akagi, I want the MAGI to continuously work on the data from this incident to determine whether or not it truly is a non terrestrial phenomenon. Further, I want this event compared with th last Angel attack in an effort to ascertain any commonality between the two events."

Ritsuko paled slightly as image of the gray armor replayed in her mind. "Do you think I will find anything?"

"At this juncture, all paths are open."

Seeing that no further words would come from her superior and lover, the faux blond gathered her reports before leaving the room entirely.

Fuyutsuki stood silently and watched the young woman leave the room. As soon as the doors closed behind her, he whirled around to face Gendo. "Do not try to avoid this Ikari, you want to get your hands on this."

A dark smile spread across Gendo's face. "Think about it Fuyutsuki. These events directly defy the scenario at every level. Our best estimates place the Angel at an extra-solar phenomenon. The likeness in waveform patterns are attributed to Lilith's existence upon the planet. Perhaps the entire scheme is one created by architects billions of years ago."

"Say you are right, and the scrolls are an extension of that plan. How does that account for these new events?"

"Plans change, technology develops. According to the good doctor, the previous Angel had an AT Field more powerful than anything we had predicted. Yet this much smaller object wielded an almost unthinkable level of power. With such resources at our disposal, we could fulfill our plans with an energy surplus."

"_Hell,_" he thought darkly, "_With that kind of power at my disposal, I can rip Yui from Unit 01._" Nothing else, nothing, was more important than that goal.

While Ikari was content with that turn of events, the older man felt a cold mass form at the base of his gut. Such power did not belong anywhere near his dark superior. Still, he was too deep into things now, and he would stand back and be the figurehead, just as he had for some time now.

000000000

Once again, the extended family from three different dimensions was seated around the dinner table. With Jet Alone defeated, Misato had been able to return from her trip early, so the Yotsuga home was jam packed with people. Still, the atmosphere was a jovial one. As steaming plates were passed around the table, stories of the day's events went with them.

"So Shinji," started Makoto with a smile, "I hear you are getting a new teacher."

The younger man perked up at that. Though the classes at school were easy compared to those from his last one, they were also phenomenally boring. Any change, even a small one, would add a bit of interest to his day, even it it was for a few weeks. "Oh?"

"Yeah!" Chimmed in Misato with a broad grin that bordered on the evil side of things. "I heard about it today when I got back to NERV. Supposedly he's even older than your last teacher," she said with an evil grin.

Shinji felt as if he was falling into a deep and terrible void. _"Oh God! Older? We're going to be bored to death with stories about the good ol' days when the Beetles roamed the Earth like gods."_ So caught up in his woe was he that Shinji completely missed the silent war being waged by Misato and Makoto.

After sending a particularly rude series of gestures Misato's way, Makoto turned towards Shinji. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm going to be your teacher." He nearly laughed when Shinji almost broke into tears at the piece of news. Over the last few weeks the youngest member of the male trio had often complained about his teacher's failings. It was those complaints, more than anything else, that convinced Makoto that teaching was the best course of action.

Before Shinji could start praising him like a god, Makoto added, "But remember Shinji. Despite our relationship here, in class I expect to be referred to as Mr. Mizuhara or Sensei. You won't get any special treatment from me. Understand?"

Shinji nodded so fast it was a wonder that his head didn't pop off. At that point, he would have agreed to anything; so happy with the news was he. "Sure, of course. Just tell me there will be no more Second Impact."

"Nope," smiled Makoto, "just good old fashioned math, literature, and the rest."

"I guess that means less Shinji meals," sighed Mitsuki wistfully. Though the grin she sported made it clear that she was joining in on the playful mood in the atmosphere.

"That's right," nodded Misato in a solemn fashion Suddenly standing like some sort of preacher, she began orating, "Though we will all miss the heavenly meals created by our dear Shinji, school is more important. Alas, we shall be forced to eat only the bounty that Mitsuki provides."

"Better than the ones that you do," muttered Ifurita as she sipped her tea.

That caused everyone, even Misato, to laugh. From there, the merrymaking and eating continued until every morsel of food was packed away and every happy word was uttered.

000000000

"Hey Shin-man, you hear that we're getting a new teacher?"

As usual, the instant Shinji crossed the boundary between the school world and the real one, Touji was immediately upon him. "Yeah, I did. How did you though?"

"That would be my doing," uttered Kensuke as he popped up to Shinji's right. "I was hacking into the school's computer last night and I found the change."

"And why were you hacking the school," Shinji deadpanned. Honestly, he knew the answer to the question. There were few reasons on the planet that Kensuke hacked computers. Mainly it consisted of; challenge, ferreting secrets, especially about Eva, and girls. Since there were no secrets in the school computer, and hacking it promised a challenge similar to punching a baby, Kensuke was after the security cameras in the girls locker room.

In all honesty, no one at the school could view the footage. It was just stored as evidence should any incident occur. Still, it was stored somewhere, and if Kensuke could get at it, the monetary rewards would be substantial.

Kensuke took one look at Shinji and smiled nervously. He knew that Shinji knew why he was hacking, and the stare of disapproval made him nervous. With one word Shinji could narc on them to Misato and he would never get to see the goddess again. "Come on Shinji! Think about it, a whole room filled with wet naked girls. As a man you should be all for the distribution of such sacred images."

For a moment, an image popped into Shinji's mind. It was a Misato, standing under a steaming shower head. The hot water cascading down her naked form, making interesting paths in the suds loosely clinging to the woman's soft, supple, flesh. Suddenly, another woman crossed into Shinji's mental landscape. She too was Misato, though this one's hair was cut more like Rei's. This Misato turned on the nozzle next to the first and began to wash herself. Just as he was enjoying this new, and equally nude, Misato, yet another joined in; this time with the same hairstyle as Kimiko Tetsuzaka from the Channel 5 News. With each passing moment, more and more Misatos appeared in the shower room. Some washed themselves and others washed each other.

Shinji had to admit, such a sight was more than a little enticing. Still the selfish bit of him didn't want anyone else spying on the naked Misato legion. It was that that made him cast a glare Kensuke's way; unintentionally emulating his father. "I'm a man, but no Kensuke. How would you feel if one of those girls were your girlfriend?"

"Yeah, like that'd happen."

Toji suddenly went pale. "How would their boyfriends like you selling pictures of their girlfriends," he said slowly.

Images of violent beatings passed across Kensuke's eyes for a moment before he shuddered. "Good point, I hadn't thought about that."

Suddenly Hikari walked by, looking ready to once again face the day. Once she got past, Shinji said, "And what if she found out?" All three males looked at each other and shuddered violently.

"You better completely forget that you ever even thought about hacking the cameras," Toji half suggested, half threatened as he eyed the retreating Class Representative.

"Believe me, I've already started."

"Good. Let's get to class," suggested Shinji.

000000000

Even as the Class Representative went through the motions of starting class, there was a great, uproarious, cheer as the new teacher entered the room. Makoto allowed the applause to continue for a few moments. It both relieved and emboldened him. "Okay, okay. Thank you for that, enthusiastic, greeting. Though I suspect your cheers are more in celebration of your old teacher's transfer," he added with a chuckle; one that the students joined in on.

"I am your teacher Makoto Mizuhara; and I have few memories of the Pre-Impact world." This generated another round of cheers. "So, from now on, we will be studying like normal academics. This also means that the network now only operates on the school level, use of the InterWeb is no longer allowed," several groans accompanied that announcement. "And, since I know that there is at least one hacker among you, I've actually detached the hard line. I know that this all seems extreme, but I would rather you pay attention and learn, than do whatever it was you did before.

Now, if you will all open up your computers, you will find a new message from me, don't open it yet though. What it is, is a 150 question test covering a wide array of information." Across the room there were a chorus of gasps, moans, and one person looked ready to faint. "Before any of you have a heart attack, don't worry. The test doesn't actually count towards your grade. It is simply a measure of where each of you are at in your schooling. This will let me alter my plans to help individuals succeed." For a moment, Makoto adopted a sterner visage. "Now let me warn you. While the test may not be counted, I would suggest that each of you do your best." Taking a quick look down at the class seating chart, Makoto picked a name at random. "Say, Miss Hokai here feels her time is better spent doing something else and only half heartedly answers the questions. Then I will think that she doesn't get the material like she should and I will give her more work and tutoring in order to bring her up to where the class is. So if none of you want that, try your hardest.

No matter how you score, I will be having sessions with all of you to discuss how you did and where improvements can be made. So good luck everyone, you may begin."

Throughout the class, a mad flurry of clicking and tapping erupted. Each student eyed the wall of questions wearily. None wanted the special attention Mr. Mizuhara promised. Soon, everyone was wading through the questions.. To their surprise, many actually experienced a measure of excitement at doing something other than their regular nothing.

000000000

"So Misato, I just saw the passenger list for your trip to intercept Unit 02. Are you sure its wise to bring civilians?"

The Captain looked up from her paperwork and saw her bottle blond friend standing beside her desk with a cup of coffee. "Well I bring you places," quipped Misato. Of the two of them, she was the one with any actual military training.

"Misato! You know what I mean."

"Listen, there are few people that I trust more than Mitsuki and Kazuki. I gave Shinji the option of choosing two people to come with us and those are the ones he wanted. I only wish we could have brought Ifurita and Makoto too."

"You seem really taken with these people," commented Ritsuko with some curiosity.

"They're friends. And unlike others I can name, they're not always buried ass deep in their work."

Ritsuko blushed, "I'm not that bad."

"Oh please," replied the purple haired woman as she rolled her eyes. "I think the only one in this whole base who gotten laid less is Maya. And that's probably because she is practically glued to your hip. Why, one may begin to think that you two had a thing going."

"Please, you know I don't go that away. Besides, what about you? You're not exactly swimming in the men."

It was Misato's turn to blush as the face of a certain Eva pilot flashed in her mind. "Shut it Ritsuko."

"Oh, I hit a nerve, did I?"

"NO! You didn't. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do before tomorrow." With that, the still blushing Captain got up and marched away, leaving her friend to wonder what had crawled up her butt and died.

000000000

As the final bell sounded the end of yet another day of classes, the classroom exploded into a flurry of activity. Every kid in the room worked fervently to get as far away from the place as possible. Still, over the roar of the chaos, Mr. Mizuhara's voice could be heard. "Ayanami and Ikari, wait a moment."

Seeing as the request did nothing to interfere with her other duties, Rei silently walked to the new teacher's desk. When he entered the room a bolt of surprise had shot through her. After the gathering at Katsuragi's residence she had not expected to encounter the man again; and as such, had put him out of mind. His resurgence was an unexpected element in, what had been, a thoroughly planned out existence. That, in of itself made this encounter both troubling and exciting.

From deeper in the room, Shinji practically bounced up towards the front. Class, for once, had actually been fun. That, made him so excited that he was a hair's breath away from bouncing off the walls. Even the fact that EVA business was about to be spoken of could not dampen his good mood.

Once the two teen stood before his desk, Makoto gave both a warm smile. "Thank you both. I won't keep you long. I have been made aware that you both have duties that require you to leave class abruptly, or be absent for days at a time. Just know that, despite those facts, in my classroom you are no different than the other students. I expect work to be turned in and tests made up. Further, Miss Ayanami, I have heard about your behavior in class, and your actions today have borne those reports out. I am telling you now that a portion of your grade is class participation. So, from now on, I expect to see you engaging in class discussion. Otherwise your grades will take a hit, do you understand?"

"I,I will attempt to comply," answered Rei with no small amount of hesitation. Thanks to her orders, she had to perform as expected in school so as to curtail any suspicions about her. Before she had managed to get by through simply answering the questions on tests and assignments correctly. This new element to her grade put her on edge though. None of her training to this point had prepared her for such an eventuality.

Makoto looked a little alarmed at Rei's reply. When he had read the notes left behind by the previous instructor, what little there was, he did not expect to see such a shy response. "Miss Ayanami . . . may I call you Rei?"

"You may."

"Good," he smiled, "Rei, don't look on this as a burden, but an opportunity."

"He's right Rei," added Shinji helpfully. Rei just looked at him quizzically. "We all need to learn how to deal with people. Even me," he added with a smile. "Hopefully, when the war is over, we can just be regular kids."

"And its my job to make sure that you both grow up to be regular adults. Well, not too regular."

"This does not support my ability to pilot," replied Rei tonelessly.

Shinji looked at Makoto helplessly. Since he had arrived, he had tried to get closer to the pale girl. Yet, every time he seemed to make the slimmest of progress, she seemed to shut down and return to her standard answers.

Makoto saw the young man's look and nodded slightly. "Actually Rei, you are wrong. The kind of interpersonal skills Shinji and I are talking about directly effect combat. Say you and Shinji are fighting an Angel. Sometimes there won't be time to discuss a strategy, you will just have to act. If you have dealt with Shinji a lot it will give you a better chance at anticipating what he may need you to do. The same goes for your interactions with superiors at your base and in the real world."

Though such an idea had never been introduced to her before, it had some logical worth. "What you suggest has merit. I shall consider it."

"Good to hear. Now, for some lighter conversation. We are having a little party tonight, we'd be happy to have you come."

Immediately, a look of apprehension erupted across Rei's face; to the extent than any emotion is shown there. Knowing her better than most, which was not much, Shinji gently touched her shoulder. "Don't worry, Mitsuki planned this one. So it should a bit more fun."

After a moment of thought, Rei said, "Then I accept."

"Great! Shinji, you fill her on the particulars on your way back. I have some work to finish up."

"Okay. Come on Rei, let's get going before Kensuke starts looking for us."

000000000

Despite the almost thunderous roar of the helicopter's engines outside, the interior was surprisingly quiet. To compensate the occupants of the vehicle's passenger compartment were making a cacophony of sounds.

"HA HA! God Misato, you should have seen Rei's face when you nearly skewered her with that pin," laughed Mitsuki uproariously.

"Hey now," groused the purple headed officer. "I got way better once I got a healthy dose of alcohol in me."

"I'll never figure out how you tagged that from across the room," marveled Makoto.

"Its all in the wrist," smiled Misato lazily. "Speaking of Rei, she seemed a bit more open this time."

Shinji smiled, "Makoto and I talked to her."

"Well that's great! That girl is way too quiet for her own good"

"Though she was a bit jumpy around me," muttered Kazuki. After dealing with D, he had thought that he would be able to get the pale girl to open up. Yet, every time he got near Rei she seemed to shrink away.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. Do you know why Shinji," asked Mitsuki worriedly. By his nature, Kazuki was a warm an welcoming goofball, it didn't seem right for anyone not to like him.

The young man shrugged and shook his head. "No idea. Every time I seem to understand her, she does something to make me think differently."

Misato looked out her window. "We'd better hold up on this. We're going in."

Everyone looked out onto the ocean. A whole flotilla of ships churned up the waves. At the center was a massive aircraft carrier. "So that's the boat, eh," asked Kazuki rhetorically.

"Better not let Kensuke hear you call it that," quipped Shinji.

Kazuki rolled his eyes, "Yeah, like I'm really afraid of what Char-boy thinks."

Misato ignored the male's bickering and plowed ahead. "That's it. Over the Rainbow, I think. Honestly, I prefer shorter names." On that, everyone could agree.

000000000

The flight deck of the Rainbow was a busy place. Men and women scurried about, readying jets and spotter planes. While most combat world wide had been snuffed out by now, the ship's C/O was a product of his times. He took his mission very seriously, and though it had been non-eventful up till now, the old man knew that it was the lulls that could get you killed.

For the young woman who walked the deck, none of that mattered though. She was surrounded by individuals who had been through seven kinds of hell during the post-Impact years. Against any terrestrial force, they could win the day. But what impact did that have on the now? As far as she was concerned, these people were only there to ferry Unit-02 from Germany to Tokyo 3. That, and herself were the only important things on the entire ocean. And Asuka Langley Soryu had not been afraid of saying so.

Like some divinely ordained queen, Asuka strode up to just landing NERV transport. Her competition was on that vehicle, and she would be dammed if she didn't establish who was the best from day one. As people made their way out of the machine's dark interior, Asuka evaluated each individual.

The first was a woman of moderate beauty, nothing close to her own, but fair enough. Her dress pants, vest, and long-sleeved turtleneck showed measure of style. Far too much for any NERV employee, so the woman had to be a civilian. No concern of hers then.

Next came a man. At first, Asuka thought he was the pilot of Unit-01, but she soon nixed that idea; he was too old. Another civilian, another nobody.

That only left the even younger man. No, that scrawny pipsqueak was just a boy. Not like Kaji.

Seeing Misato, the young red-head waved. "Hey Misato! Its about time you got here."

"Hi Asuka. Ritsuko had some last minute instructions for Unit-02's emergency hook ups." Just as she was moving to introduce the others, a predictable equation played out. Wind+loose dress+windy flight deck=flashed panties.

Mitsuki mentally questioned the intelligence of the young woman. It had been obvious to her that a dress would have been a wrong idea. While Misato had worn one, the skirt was so tight that there was no way it would have been blown around. At first, Mitsuki was going to laugh at the look of surprise on Asuka's face. But that laughter died in her throat when the shock changed to pure, unadulterated, rage.

What happened next was pure instinct. Acting on months of bruise-filled training at the hand, and feet, of Yayoi, Mitsuki grabbed Asuka's arm as the younger woman moved towards Shinji and Kazuki. With one deft maneuver, Mitsuki had the raging red head completely in her hold. "Hey now."

Asuka was shocked for a moment after the strange woman incapacitated her. That moment passed and she began to fight the woman's hold. To her surprise, Asuka found herself unable to mount an appropriate counter. As humiliating as being thoroughly trounced by such an inconsequential person was, what made matters worse was the obvious laughter on the parts of the watching deck crew. "What the hell are you doing," she shrieked in outrage.

"I could ask you the same thing," commented Mitsuki absently. Despite her size, Asuka was rather strong, and it took a measure of effort to keep her contained.

Asuka roared, "You bitch! Let me go you," from there, the young woman launched into an angry diatribe filled with some of the harshest German ever uttered.

Both Misato and Mitsuki winced at some of the venom that gushed from Asuka's mouth. Kazuki and Shinji did too, but they were just responded to what sounded like devil speak to them. The women though, understood every word. Though, admittedly, they weren't totally sure that some of acts Asuka described were humanly possible.

""Listen,"" said Mitsuki in German, ""stop struggling and I'll let you go."" Unfortunately, that seemed to have an opposite effect on the red head, seeing as the girl's thrashing only increased.

Misato watched with a worried eye. Though she knew that Asuka had her problems, the vehemence with which the girl responded to Mitsuki was surprising. Moving quickly, she got in front of the raging girl and grabbed Asuka's head. ""Asuka! Calm down before I have to get the doctors.""

In the harlot's grasp, Asuka raged. It infuriated her beyond reason that this insignificant speck had the temerity to bind her glory. Nothing she did seemed to break the wench's hold on her, and she had even tried the counters taught to her to evade just this type of technique. When she felt someone grab her head, Asuka thrashed with greater fury. Through the red haze though, Asuka heard Misato say that she would get the doctors.

Just the thought of those men in their white jackets brought her heart to a sudden, and rather painful, stop. The last time they had been turned on her was nearly three years ago, back when Misato had still been her guardian. There had been an incident with a boy in Berlin. He had, in her opinion, been too fresh with her and she had broken one of his arms. Said young man had rather powerful parents and his father had been most cross at the, "Red headed strumpet that would dare harm a member of his family." As such, he had pressed charges. The proceedings had gotten rather far before NERV had the whole affair quashed. But in that time the father had psychiatrists at the hospital he ran evaluate her. Their results had proclaimed that she had serious rage issues, coupled with a mother complex, and possible suicidal tendencies. NERV dismissed their claims as spurious slander and the matter was dropped, the father though made sure that both Asuka and Misato saw the doctor's findings. For a while after, Asuka couldn't even look herself in the mirror, not our of shame for the incident, no she still felt justified there, what worried her was that she would see a rope hanging around her neck, just like her mother.

Not wanting a repeat of last time, Asuka's struggles came to a shuddering halt. "Fine. I'll stop." As she shook off the woman's grip she said haughtily, "Though I still say those guys deserve to pay a little viewing fee."

Mitsuki smirked in a manner not unlike her much maligned mother, "Oh I don't know about that. It's hard for them to see anything when they had their eyes closed."

Asuka looked back over at the two males and, to her shock, saw that they both had their eyes closed tight. "B,but how," she sputtered.

"I told them," replied Mitsuki. "I figured that something would happen. Doesn't take a genius to figure out that a dress out here is a bad idea." Then, to add insult to injury, she added, "By the way, that color really clashes with those shoes." Having said her peace, and gotten a minor victory over a rather unpleasant person, Mitsuki grabbed Kazuki and Shinji before walking towards the open door on the carrier's tower.

"Why that bitch," growled Asuka as she watched the trio walk away.

"That bitch, as you put it, is a friend of mine," commented Misato with a touch of anger. "She also happens to be right." Before let herself say something she may regret, the purple haired Captain followed after her friends, leaving Asuka alone to sulk.

000000000

Later, after a rather unpleasant exchange with the ship's captain, the group, plus one additional person, Ryoji Kaji, gathered in the ship's mess. To everyone, even Shinji, it was clear that the unkempt man and Misato had something of a history. They weren't quite sure how much until he asked, "So, Shinji. Is Misato still wild in bed."

Everyone at the table reacted with shock and varying degrees of outrage at the boldly inappropriate question. On top of that though, Misato felt a stab of hurt and remorse at having a painful part of her past dredged up in front of her new family. Somehow, that pain was only made worse when she caught sight of Shinji's shocked face looking her way. Seeing that, all she wanted to do is crawl up in a hole and die.

Though Shinji had felt a not so small measure of surprise at hearing about Misato's past exploits in the bedroom arena, that was nothing compared to what he felt when he looked at her. The woman's whole face had every ounce of joy and vitality sucked out of it. Seeing such a sight created in him an anger the likes of which he had seldom known. Unlike Asuka though, he wasn't about to attack the man physically. That did not mean he had other methods of recourse. "I don't know. Every time I've seen her asleep she's muttered something about a five minute wonder." That part was true, though Shinji didn't mention that it was always in reference to moans about instant curry.

The response to Shinji's reply was instant. Both Kazuki and Mitsuki began laughing uproariously and congratulating him on an amazing retort. Though that helped add some reinforcement to his spine, what really made the young man sit up straight was the hearty laughter and gratitude that flowed from Misato. "_That's how she should look,_" he thought happily.

Now it was Kaji's turn to look put off by another. He quickly covered his dismay and flashed his patented lady killer smile. Internally, the man frowned as the only one effected by it seemed to be Asuka; who gazed at him with adoration. Mentally he shrugged, _"Got to give it to the kid, he got me good with that one."_ "Well Shinji, you seem every bit as capable as your file claimed. See you around Katsuragi." With as much dignity that he had left, the spy got up and made his way out of the room.

Asuka stayed for just long enough that she could spear the others at the table with a vicious glare. With that curse done, she left in pursuit of her beau.

As he watched the two leave, Kazuki could not help but think, "_This is my chance_." Ever since he had landed on the carrier, Zinv's pilot had felt antsy. Something, just on the edge of his consciousness, was itching at him. There was something on the ship that was bugging him, he didn't know what it was, or why, but Zinv was in the background growling at the intrusion. And he had come to learn that, whatever upset his partner was at least worthy of inquiry. Otherwise, it could come and bite him in the ass. Now, he had the opportunity to explore, and maybe find the source of his distress.

Turning to the others, he said, "Hey, the ride here really left me stiff. I think I'm going to take a stroll and stretch my legs."

Mitsuki nodded and smiled. "Okay Kazuki. Have fun." She thought about asking to join him for a few moments before a small, random, voice added a final push. Seeing the young man just about to leave, Mitsuki quickly stood. "Hey, wait up."

Kazuki turned quizzically to see his "wife" running up to him, "Mitsuki?"

"Mind some company," she asked shyly.

The young man smiled, "Sounds great."

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Like Mitsuki and Kazuki, Shinji found himself wandering through the decks of the Rainbow. Though he walked alone, for the first time he really didn't mind. The couple needed their 'them' time, and he didn't want to intrude upon that. Misato had been forced to bow out in order to oversee the installation of the emergency power hookup for Unit-02. She had apologized profusely for leaving him alone, but duty was duty. The woman hadn't left without thanking him though. A thanks that included a full body hug and a peck on the cheek that left Shinji sure that he wouldn't be sleeping right for days to come.

Misato, just thinking of the purple haired woman brought a smile to his face. She was always so vibrant, so wonderful. At home or work there was a certain quality about her that made her stand out amongst the crowd. The guys at school all thought that he was lucky to be living with such a babe; talking like he and she got it on at any opportunity. And while a part of him thought that such a situation had its fair share of merits, that wasn't the main reason he smiled. It was because of how she treated him. He wasn't a chore or a burden, some kid she had taken in because someone ordered her to. She worked to make sure the apartment was a home, and that he was just as welcome there as she was. It wasn't like before, at the home of his teacher. There, he was just the boy that had to be taught and netted the old man a hefty sum. With Misato though, things were different, and there was not a doubt in Shinji's mind that he could spend a lifetime thanking her and it wouldn't be enough.

Shinji's smile took a decidedly marked turn downwards when he saw the person who stood just ahead of him. It was the red-heading fireball called Asuka. Quite frankly, he didn't want to have anything to do with her, but from the girl's determined expression, Unit-01's pilot was sure that such a thing wasn't in the cards.

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As Asuka pulled the sheet back to reveal 'HER' Unit-02, Shinji could not help but stare. Before they had left, Misato had briefed him on the new addition to NERV's forces. She had even shown him several pictures of the mech he was currently looking at. Like then, he could not fathom the color of the thing. Who paints a giant robot red? The purple of Unit-01 made no sense to him either. Just the staggering amount of paint needed to create such a look seemed insane. Surely they could launch with just a simple metal finish. It wasn't like the Angels cared about fashion or anything. What made things worse is that Asuka seemed to rejoice in the color of her machine.

"Well," she half demanded, half screeched. "What do you think?"

"Its red."

Asuka looked about ready to lay into the worm of a male who dared limit the splendor of her precious Unit-02 to a simple mention of its color. Before she could mete out her 'righteous' vengeance the entire boat shifted. So violent was the action that her glory nearly fell into the coolant pool. "What the hell was that?!"

Shinji paid no attention to the girl's rants though, as he was quickly running out the door so he could determine the cause of the shaking for himself. Once he left the darkness for the brilliance of the day, it did not take long for him to realize what was going on. An Angel was attacking, and by the look of things it would not be long before it reached the boat he was on. Not wasting a moment, he turned back and ran inside. Along the way he passed a shocked Asuka. "Its an Angel," he yelled. "We need to get ready."

Luckily, Mitsuki, in her infinite wisdom, had advised him to plan for such a situation. With her usual wit she had said, "Just when everything looks okay, that's when life blows up in your face."

Following that piece of advise, Shinji took the precaution of bringing a plug suit and set of A-10 clips with him. He had hopped that he wouldn't need them, but like Mitsuki had predicted, life blew up. It did not take him long to find a side room that allowed him a modicum of privacy for changing into his suit.

Not more than five minutes after the initial shock wave had rocked the ship like it was in a storm, Shinji was fully geared and accessing Unit-02's entry plug. Throughout the entire exercise, he kept his mind on the task at hand. Otherwise, the fear he was feeling would get the better of him. For his whole life, the young Ikari had been terrified of the water; mostly because swimming and he were mutually exclusive concepts. Even if he survived the ship's destruction by the Angel, unless he made it into the Eva he would certainly drown.

As the grinding of the entry plug's gears filled the canvas covered space, a voice cried out, "Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing to MY Unit-02?" The source of the voice was none other than Asuka. Since anyone last saw her, she too had donned a plug suit, though her's was as red as her Evangelion. With the attack in progress, she had suited up rather gleefully. It was finally her chance to show the rookie pilot how things were done. Her chance to prove to all who was the best. That people were dieing to pave the way for her glory never even dawned on her, she was too consumed by herself to care. She did start to care about something when she saw the pipsqueak attempting to enter her Eva. In fact she was positively livid.

Shinji pointed off in the approximate direction of the Angel. "In case you haven't noticed, there's an Angel out there! We need to stop it."

"Whatever," Asuka shot back as she climbed up her machine. "Just don't get in my way, Third Child."

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"What are we looking for," asked Mitsuki for the fifth time. After a few minutes, she had realized that Kazuki's walk was more than he had first intimated. For some reason he was searching the ship like a bloodhound. She held back her complaints only because one time he had mentioned Zinv in connection to what he was feeling.

Just of the thought of that gray machine sent a cold chill down Mitsuki's spine. At first she had no problem with it. It, he, had saved them all when the Rara Army had attacked the base. The more she got to know about Kazuki's partner, the more she worried. The thing moved without a pilot, not caring what got in its path, so long as Kazuki was in danger. Couple that independent nature with its raw power and Zinv was enough to terrify anyone.

"We're nearly there," replied Kazuki absently. In the back of his mind he could feel the itching gaining in strength with every step he took. After a few false starts, he was positively sure that he was finally on the right track.

Right after he replied, a series of alarm klaxon began to ring though the ship. Mitsuki looked around the corridor worriedly. "Maybe we should get to somewhere safe," she offered weakly. Despite her words, she knew that there was no way that Kazuki would follow her advice at this point. Really, she just said it to have it been said.

Not more than a minute after the alarms started, Kazuki stopped in front of one of the many doors on the carrier. "This is it. Something's in there." Being so close to the source, he was torn. On one hand he was apprehensive as to what could possibly be on the other side of that sheet of metal. The other hand though, was all for the violent disassembling of said door.

Mitsuki took one look at the pensive young man beside her and sighed exasperatedly. "For heaven's sake Kazuki! Are you going to knock or what?"

Before he could answer, the door opened to reveal a surprised Kaji. In his hand was an Aluminum case. "What are you two doing here?"

For a moment Mitsuki thought Kazuki was going to answer, but when he didn't, she quickly stepped in. "We got lost looking for Misato."

"Heh, yeah. This old thing is hard to navigate," chuckled Kaji. "Well, if you don't mind, I've got to be going. Alarms and things, you understand." Before either kid could answer, he moved past them and headed briskly towards the jet he was about to commandeer.

As the man walked off, Kazuki was focused solely on the container he was holding. "_That's it! That's what I've been looking for._" He didn't know why, but for some reason, the item was locked firmly in his mind. Even when Kaji, and hence it, turned a corner, Kazuki knew exactly were it was. Like some blazing dot, he could see the box's every movement.

"Kazuki!" Looking at the young man, Mitsuki was getting worried. It was as if he was in a trance or something. Even as the ship was thrown into chaos around him, Kazuki just stared ahead.

With a shake of his head, Kazuki stopped actively following the box. Turning a concerned eye towards Mitsuki, he said, "What's wrong?"

"I should ask you that! The ship's going crazy and you are staring like that time that guy bad mouthed D."

He cast a quick glance back towards the box. "I, I don't know. Something is just wrong with that thing. I mean, I can still see it." Suddenly, Kazuki pointed towards a direction, "It's over there right now." Even as his hand continued to track the container with the unknown in it, the Yotsuga male's head turned sharply in another direction. "And there is something else over there! Something big, real big."

Mitsuki looked at her not-so-secret crush worriedly. "Come on," she said as she grabbed Kazuki's hand, "let's go find Misato. Maybe she can help."

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In spite of the ship's complexity, Mitsuki was able navigate her way through the labyrinthine maze of corridors and ladders. After the first few times she made a right choice in direction, the brown haired young woman realized that her luck ability was still working strong. Between it, and her memory of the last time she had been there, it did not take her long to work her way to the Rainbow's bridge. Right as they were nearing the nerve center of the ship, the entire structure pitched violently to one side. "What the hell was that," she yelled with a not small amount of fear.

"We're almost there, maybe someone will know," for the second time in so few minutes, Kazuki took the lead and helped Mitsuki stabilize herself in the rolling hallway.

As they stumbled onto the bridge, Kazuki and Mitsuki stared out in awe of the giant red thing on the ship's flight deck. "Is that an Angel," gasped Mitsuki.

Misato turned towards the pair and released a sigh of relief at their presence. "No, that's Unit-02. Shinji and Asuka are in it to fight the Angel."

While he didn't know how he knew it, Kazuki knew that something bad was about to happen. With Mitsuki still in hand, he dove towards the older woman, "Get down!" Right as the three people hit the deck, literally, the whole tower shook violently and a hailstorm of glass rained down upon the huddled group.

Though the gash on the back of her hand hurt like hell, Misato scrambled to get up. To her dismay, she bumped her head on a section of the outer wall that had been caved in by Unit-02. Looking at the mass of twisted metal, she couldn't help but swallow deeply. Had Kazuki not pulled her down when he did, she may have had much more substantial injuries. As it was, Misato cut her other hand open as she desperately grabbed hold of the console in an effort to maintain her balance in the face of the chaotic rocking created by the Eva's battle. Still, she had to watch, Shinji was out there and she would be dammed if she did not give the battle her all.

By the time Kazuki was able to stand again, both the Evangelion and the Angel had fallen off the ship. Looking out the ruined windows, he was shocked at the massive amounts of damage the carrier had sustained. "W,what happened to them," he muttered. Distantly, he heard Misato reply, but he was more focused on the deceptively placid waters of the ocean. Among the remains of both ship and man, Kazuki could make out the form of a great, glowing, creature moving swiftly beneath the ocean's surface. Despite its great speed, he could see its every movement. For a moment, he thought about pointing out the Angel's location, but instead he held himself back.

One thing he learned from Akane was that in a war, the side being attacked would pounce on any advantage with an almost manic glee. He had seen that when he acquired Zinv. Ayuko Rara had used a dimensional cannon to deny the U.N. Forces Zinv. If this war was as dire as Shinji and Misato made it out to be, then he could be one of the greatest assets of them all. He didn't know why he could see the Angel, but, with a feeling of immense dread, Kazuki began to put certain pieces together to form a rather unnerving picture. So, while it shammed him to do so, he would stay quiet for now.

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As the most recent gathering at the Katsuragi compound was really winding up, Mitsuki cast a worried eye towards Kazuki. Ever since the battle on the Rainbow, he had been withdrawn. She had asked him about it, but all he would say was that he needed to think about somethings. Quite frankly, it had her worried. Normally, Kazuki was such a happy spirit. Even the war didn't seem to get at him in a deep way, not like whatever gripped him now. Though she put on an unfeeling air when around him, she really did care about the man. When around him, she didn't feel like her mother. Ayuko was an unfeeling witch who cared for nothing but herself. At times, Mitsuki worried that she was becoming like the woman. Kazuki, just by his being there, pushed away those worries and fears and let her be the woman she wanted to be. To see him is such a state felt wrong.

Luckily, she was not one to let such things stand for too long. Putting her glass down on Misato's table, Mitsuki made her way through the various people at the impromptu gathering. Sliding up next to him, she looked out at the merry makers. "So, what's got you so down? And I'd like an answer this time."

Kazuki sighed and looked down into the glass of soda he had poured for himself. Since the Rainbow, he had seen that Mitsuki was worried about him, and when he wasn't too deep in thought it made him smile. What stole that smile right away was what else was plaguing his mind. Was he destined to be nothing more than a weapon? First, he was the only male to pilot a Core Robot. Then, he took charge of Zinv, a death-dealing machine par excellence. Now, a new weapon in a new war made itself known. He didn't want to fight damnit! When Dr's Rara and Sanada had talked about using Zinv and its technology to explore space, Kazuki had been elated. At last something that wasn't fighting. But now that was taken away from him.

With a heaving sigh, he looked at the worried woman. "I think I figured out my power."

Mitsuki tried to cheer him up with a happy tone "That's great Kazuki! What is it?"

"I can track the Angels," he whispered.

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Author's Notes: Well, there you have it, Kazuki's power has been revealed and another chapter is completed. I think this is a rather straight forward chapter. I wanted to get both the Jet Alone and Asuka intros done and out of the way. Now to some issues I should probably address.

IfuritaNow I know it may seem that I am god-modeing her but I am not. A quick review of her should help, especially for you who have not been exposed to El-Hazard before. In the anime, Ifurita can vaporize whole cities and fly at supersonic speeds. Coupled to this, she also can manipulate the elemental forces of wind, water, and fire, thanks to her time in the wars of ancient El-Hazard. Some of the stuff they were doing in the anime with those elements is similar to Avatar the Last Airbender. From there, I made the assumption that there would be a similar power over earth, but had been lost to all in the years between the wars and the present; lost to all but Ifurita. Given her power generation capabilities and general abilities for element manipulation, its not that big of a stretch to have her do what she does in this chapter. Though, I will like to remind you all that it left her severely drained, so no vaporizing cities after making a storm from nothing.

AsukaShe is a lot more difficult for me than other characters, mainly because I dislike her so much. It is so easy to just make her a stuck up bitch the whole way through and then, at the end, pull a Cartman and have her die of AIDS or something. I am not going to do that though, no matter how tempting it may be. As it stands though, to make her likable, I will have to deconstruct her. Nobody in a real world would be allowed to get away with how Asuka acts, especially with her bouts of violence. At one point or another they would lash out at the wrong person and get their ass handed to them, if not worse. I realize that NERV, and especially Gendo Ikari, wanted Asuka like she was to further destroy Shinji, but to me that just seems like lazy writing. So for this, I will be working on breaking down all the crap that she has built up for herself so that I can rebuild her into a somewhat decent human being. I mean, come on, who knows how many people were dieing in that fleet, both on the ships the Angel destroyed and on the ones that Asuka crushed on her way to the Rainbow, yet, all she cared about was that she was going to show everyone how good she was. That is one cold bitch, though something similar could be said about the writers who just write off the massive loss of life like it was nothing. I know that the show was trying to maintain a lightness at that time, but some mention of it should have happened.

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People.


	6. Asuka is Struck

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 5 – Asuka is Struck

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It has been said that NERV was the worse place on the planet to work. Those who said that were wrong though. Per volume, the least enjoyed place of employment on Earth was a stump pulling firm in Nutley, New Jersey. Its most acclaimed worker pulled a stump out with her teeth. No, NERV was only one of the worst places on Earth.

The main tower was dark and gloomy, and despite the job of defending the planet from total annihilation, NERV personnel were surprisingly morose. What made things worse were a series of rumors of sourceless voices. No matter how many investigations into the phenomenon occurred, there was never any reasonable explanation for their existence, yet there were few who had not heard them at one time or another. That fact only added to the lack of enthusiasm among the employees.

Of course, none of that was known to Asuka Langley Soryu. She happily moved her belongings, all twenty boxes worth, back and forth in her new apartment as she tried to get everything just right. When she had first heard that Misato was assigning her to the base dorms, Asuka had been outraged. But the older woman cooled the fires by playing to the red-head's vanity. _"You're the best pilot we've got Asuka,"_ soothed Misato. _"We need someone to be nearby in case an Angel strikes."_

Asuka had eaten the praise without even asking if there was anything more to it. The girl hungered for action, and if living on the base meant that she would engage with any aggressor first, then she welcomed the isolation. At least, she did at first. During the early days she didn't notice that not a single soul visited her room, she was too high on the wave of freedom for that. Even if she wasn't there were so many tests and meetings that she spent almost no time at the tiny abode NERV had saddled her with. One she her first day of classes though, she started to realize that her gilded pedestal was actually a cage.

Section 2 agents had driven her to school that day. The men and their dark suits stared silently at Asuka from behind equally dark sunglasses. They did little to hide the disdain for such a lowly mission and made sure that the red-head knew that her status as pilot meant little to them. One man did talk to her, but in the end she wished he had remained as silent as his cohorts. According to him, Asuka was only allowed to have visitors that were certified NERV personnel, anyone else was not allowed within the Geofront., she had a curfew of 10 o'clock, and, to her great disdain, she was not allowed to mention her position in NERV. Any violation of those rules would result in serious penalties, including varying lengthed suspensions of her piloting privileges.

Her sputterings on the unfairness of the rules went unremarked by the men around her. Though she did note, angrily, that her complaints only seemed to please those who escorted her. While not liking things one bit, there appeared to be nothing that she could do about it, for now at least. Nothing could get in the way of her piloting, she would have to find a different way of making everyone love her. After all, she was Asuka Langley Soryu, what teenage boy wouldn't adore her? What girl wouldn't want to be her?

She had been right about her assessment of the male population at the school. Granted, it didn't take much effort to understand the mind of a teenaged boy, Asuka still took it as a sign of her superiority. They hungered for her uniqueness, and who could blame them. Years of nothing but the bland conformity all those Japanese school girls strived for made the men pant at her foreign beauty.

Just as her lack of sameness drove all the boys to her, it also pushed most of the girls away. Asuka could see the jealousy in their eyes, their desire to posses all that she was in order to have even a third of her following. In the halls and locker rooms she heard their whispered comments. They called her a whore, and a bitch. They questioned her parentage and whether or not her hair's color came from a bottle. For the most part, Asuka just ignored their remarks as the mindless prattle of jealous inferiors, but deep down, in the portion of her soul that yearned for acceptance from others, their cruel words wounded her.

Not even that quiet freak Rei Ayanami or the seemingly meek Shinji Ikari wanted nothing to do with her. The albino had just brushed her off, like none of her words were even worth the energy expended to vibrate air. Meanwhile Ikari had actually turned and confronted her, saying, "_I don't like being around people who try and hit me for no good reason_." After which he had walked off, dragging his two drooling friends behind him.

Class had been just as bad. The teacher didn't say anything she didn't already know, which made things extremely boring for the college graduate. At the same time, she couldn't surf the local web or read a book as everything was in that wispy chicken scratch the Japanese call writing, instead of a more acceptable anglicized system. So she was left sitting there all day, quiet and out of the center of things.

Still, the day wasn't a total bust, at least she made one friend. That Hikari was a nice girl and a class rep. For Asuka, there were dual benefits to such a friendship. On one hand she had a new friend, and on the other said friend had power that she could use to lord over others. Yet there was something in the girl's wide, open, face and friendly smile that made Asuka appreciate the former over the later. It was that same friendship that the red-head found herself missing as she walked sullenly along the corridors of the Geofront towards the cold cell she called home.

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"So Shinji, how was school," asked Mitsuki conversationally.

The young Ikari emerged from the Katsuragi kitchen with two steaming plates in his hands. A smile graced his lips. "It was pretty good. Makoto gave a lecture about the American Civil war and compared it to similar wars from other nations, including the Bakumatsu."

At the mention of Japan's own internal struggle, Misato let go of her can of beer and cast an eager eye towards her Shinji. "Ooh, I love that bit. Did he mention the Hitokiri Battosai?"

With a shiver, Shinji nodded. "Yeah, that guy was scary."

"Thanks Shinji," said Makoto as the younger man placed a plate before him. "And I agree with you. That man scared me when I heard about him too."

"Pfft," dismissed the violet-haired woman. "That's what is so cool about him. Imagine," she said wistfully, "not having to worry about Angels or impacts. Where the biggest boogie man was a half real, half legend swordsman."

"Oh yeah, real great," drawled Mitsuki. "I bet all they would have loved a woman like you, Misato. Not to mention all the things that could kill you in just the normal day-to-day world."

Misato pouted, "Oh sure, ruin all the fun for me." Everyone in the room got a laugh at Misato's expense, but she didn't mind since she had plenty of credit to spare.

As Shinji delivered the last of the meals he had lovingly made, Mitsuki engaged the others in small talk. Laughter abounded, and she participated whole heartedly, at the same time though, she watched the young man who she felt such familial ties to. He walked around the room with confidence. It was there more and more these days, Shinji was standing straighter and speaking with more authority than he had when Mitsuki first met him. Yes, he still slipped back into old patterns, he may always do so on occasion, but those instances were getting further and further apart; while at the same time becoming shorter in duration.

When he slid a plate in front of Misato, Shinji and the woman shared a quick, yet soft look. No one else seemed to notice them, no one but Mitsuki. Just as Shinji had been a project of her's, so too was Misato. The woman was becoming more open with her true self, and jumping into the can less. And the one she was opening herself up to the most was none other than Shinji, though neither seemed to notice as of yet. "_Soon_," thought Mitsuki with a smile. "_I just don't know which one will be the first to figure it out_."

Shinji and Misato were just one of the many plates that Mitsuki was spinning at the moment. Recently, she had added yet another one, that red-headed loudmouth, Asuka Soryu. There was something deeply wrong with that girl, and in a startling similarity to her mother, Mitsuki was not above using others to fulfill her goals. Said other was just sitting down to enjoy the meal he had so wonderfully made. "So Shinji, how did that other thing go today?"

"You mean Asuka?"

The mention of one of the pilots drew Misato's attention from her meal, "What about Asuka?"

Mitsuki launched a quick glare Shinji's way before turning a false smile Misato's way. "Oh, I just asked Shinji to rebuff her if she tried to make friends." Not missing a beat, Mitsuki turned back at Shinji, "And how did that go?"

The young Ikari shrugged his shoulders, "She looked completely shocked when I said what you told me to, then she got really mad. Especially when she overheard me tell Toji and Kensuke to stay away from her." As he spoke, Shinji did so with that newfound confidence that Mitsuki had helped engender in him. That soon changed as a look of doubt crept into his features. "Are you sure that was the right thing to do?"

"Absolutely Shinji."

"Well why don't you tell why you think that," commanded Misato coolly. Gone was the warm, wise-cracking, neighbor and in her place was the Operations Director of NERV.

Ayuko's daughter didn't even flinch at her friend's cold tone and harsh stare. Instead she matched it, icicle for icicle. "Why don't you tell me who has been training her all these years. You told me that Asuka had been trained extensively to pilot her Evangelion yet she doesn't seem to have even the slightest amount of military discipline. Even Shinji has better battlefield comportment, and he has only been training a fraction of the time Asuka has. She is a brat with major temper problems, if her nearly decking Shinji and Kazuki are any indication. Not to mention the fact that she killed more than one person during her oh so wonderful sortie. I confronted the grand dame shortly after her triumph and she just stared at me as if I had been talking with clicks and whistles. The next thing I knew Asuka was right back on her pride parade. If she's right, and she's the best thing that we've got, then we're doomed."

The coldness in Misato's expression thawed bit by bit under the cool relentless words of Mitsuki. She knew her friend was correct on every point. In her own way the officer had tried to train Asuka and instill in her an esprit de corps, but that had been years ago. Even then, her meager efforts had been constantly undermined by Asuka's stubbornness, psychological issues, and NERV management's lack of enforcement in regards to the rules. As her friend came to a stop, Misato could only sigh, "You're right."

"Then how would we attempt to claim victory in this conflict," asked Iffurita, her tactical subroutines running over everything with machine precision. "Having a third of our operational forces acting rogue will severely hamper our efforts."

"Ideally," started Mitsuki, "NERV would just go out and find a replacement. But given the age of pilots and their specialized equipment, I'm betting that it isn't that easy," this last bit was directed at Misato.

"It isn't," replied the Captain. "There is a whole process. Supposedly some group is scanning all the kids on the planet for the right ones."

"So if you can't get a better pilot, you make the one you have into the one you want," stated Mitsuki coldly.

Makoto leaned forward, "How?"

"I once read that the purpose of the American military's boot camp was to break a person down, rid them of unfavorable practices, then build them back up into a proper soldier."

Misato nodded, "Yeah, that's kinda how it worked in my training too."

"Well we need to do the same thing with Asuka," explained the brunette. "We have to exploit her psychological weaknesses to take her to the very edge of her capacity to handle then carefully work her into someone who is both a good pilot and a better person."

"Um, was what I did a part of that," asked Shinji softly. All this talk about psychological work on the new pilot disturbed him.

Mitsuki smiled and nodded her head in the affirmative, "Yes. From what I was able to learn about her in the few talks we had, Asuka loves to be the center of attention. You, by your status as a EVA pilot, are in a position to influence the people in your class. If you were to distance yourself from her it could convince others to not have anything to do with her."

"Isolating her and possibly lowering her self-esteem," added Makoto.

"You got it."

"Then I guess what I did was a good thing then," mused Misato between bites. Seeing the questioning looks, she elaborated. "When we all got back, I had the option of taking in Asuka like I did with Shinji," as she said the young man's name, a small smile graced her lips. "Thinking back to what she pulled on the ship I decided to let NERV deal with her, meaning the Commander basically became her guardian."

Shinji made a face at that, "Ugg, talk about the punishment being worse than the crime."

Everyone laughed at his quip, even Mitsuki, who dropped her cold facade. "Normally, I would agree. But from what you've told me about him, this may make things go faster."

"Let's just hope that no Angels attack before then," said Kazuki, showing that even pilots of universe merging robots are not immune from taunting the gods.

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Two days later, Shinji found himself wanting to yell at Kazuki for his words at that meal. Currently the pilot of Unit-01 found himself sitting inside the entry plug of his Evangelion. Said mecha was shin deep in the waters off the coast of Japan. All around, like titanic grave markers, the skyscrapers of some pre-impact city stood out from the ocean. To his left and right stood his fellow defenders of mankind, Rei in Unit-00 and Asuka in Unit-02. On Shinji's display, he could see the chat windows bearing the two girls. In Rei's, the girl quietly looked forward, waiting for the approaching Angel to show itself. Asuka, on the other hand, had a large MUTE sign across her window. Even then, Shinji could tell that the red-head had not ceased her rantings concerning the mission plan. "Its not my fault that Misato made me lead," grumbled the young man morosely.

When the Seventh Angel was first sighted far off the coast of Japan, NERV had been placed on high alert and all pilots were called in. Based on the, admittedly little, intelligence that the initial JSSDF and U.N. assaults had provided her, Misato sketched out the barest of battle plans. Shinji, owing to his greater real combat experience, would take point. Asuka, would follow to provide back up. Meanwhile, Rei would be outfitted with NERV's new linear acceleration cannon. Between Shinji and Asuka, it was hoped, the Angel's AT Field would be sufficiently neutralized to allow Rei to use the LAC to possibly one-shot the core. Failing that, the LAC rounds would be damaging enough to slow the creature down so that either of the forward units could finish it off.

Needless to say, Asuka was not pleased that she was not the one assigned to point. She had argued, most vociferously, that she was the one with the most training. In her opinion, both Rei and Shinji were nothing but rank amateurs next to her own brilliance; she had voiced just such an opinion right there in the briefing room. The others only fueled the flames of her outrage when they unanimously ignored her and continued with the briefing as if she had not said a word. So, for the rest of the day, Asuka had engaged in random bouts of complaining. Nothing was safe from the girls sharp tongue and by the time the three EVAs had been set up at the staging area, everyone had grown so tired of her that they just muted her coms and refused to undo it.

Any further thought as to the loud mouthed pilot was cut off by a new window which formed in the center of Shinji's entry plug. Unit-01's cameras had identified the Angel and it projected a zoomed in image of the aggressor for its pilot. "Okay. I have the Angel in sight. Ayanami, are you ready?"

To his right, the orange and white EVA lifted a large, boxy, weapon and rested it on its shoulder. The LAC's initial design had come from a suggestion made by Mitsuki during her introductory party. Essentially, it was nothing more than a giant magnetic accelerator. Instead of launching protons, like the old supercolliders, the LAC shot out ferris darts the length of an Evangelion's forearm. The current design limited the weapon to only five rounds, but power supplies and refined accelerator coils were already in development. Rei's EVA could bear the weight of the weapon, but only just. Even then, it was confined to a single spot, at least in firring mode. Activating her Unit's targeting system, Rei skewered her opponent on the cross hairs. "Ready."

Looking out over the water, Shinji swallowed hard. Despite the fact that he was in a hermetically sealed tube high above the crashing waves, the teen did not feel comfortable around so much of the liquid. Still, he had a job to do, and the quicker he was done with it the quicker they could all go home. "Evangelion Unit-01, moving out." Slowly, he moved his mecha forward towards the oncoming Angel. Extending his A.T. Field, Shinji felt it brush softly against the edges of the hostile's own field. But before he could begin neutralizing that barrier, Shinji saw Asuka rush past towards it. "What the hell? Asuka!" With a flip of a switch, he un-muted her channel.

"Just watch Third, I'll do what you obviously are too chicken to do!" Twirling her progressive lance above her head with a flourish, Asuka ran headlong towards the Angel. Here was when she would show the others who was the best, who should be the prime pilot. She would show everyone, including that, "BASTARD ANGEL!" With her words fueling her hate, Asuka slammed her weapon down through the Angel with every once of her Evangelion's strength.

To her delight, the lance scythed through the creature like the smooth cut of a knife into a succulent steak. "See that Shinji! That is how a battle is won." Yet, as she gloated over the Angel's body, and over the others who would dare bring her low, a dark shadow crept over her glory. Suddenly, the purple flesh of the hostile began to bubble and boil. "S,scheist!"

Seeing the two aggressors emerge from the one, Shinji yelled at his fellow pilot. "Asuka, get back!" His warning was too late though, as the White target grabbed Asuka's lance and impaled her upon it. Showing its power, the Angel took the impaled Evangelion and hurled it back towards the shore. Shinji spared a precious moment to follow her flying EVA with his eyes before turning back to the Orange target which was nearly upon him. With a yelp, Shinji jumped back and unloaded his assault rifle into the oncoming Angel. At that range, the HE shells seemed to have some effect as the creature was forced back a bit. Even before the smoke from his assault cleared, Shinji yelled, "REI NOW!"

Across the battlefield, a deafening roar ripped through the once tranquil landscape. The instant Shinji called her name, Rei pulled the trigger on the LAC. From it's barrel, a round launched out at several times the speed of sound. Before the White Angel could realize that it was being attacked, the dart slammed into it with astounding force. Rei's aim had been true and the Angel's core was reduced to a fine powder. From her speakers echoed the cheers of the NERV on-site personnel and, for a moment, the albino felt a measure of pride. Both the pride and the cheers vanished a second later when the White Angel's core regenerated before the horrified eyes of everyone. A second and third shot produced similar results, immense damage that quickly regenerated.

She was about to launch a fourth round when she heard Misato yell out, "Ditch the LEC and go to melee."

"Order confirmed."

Shinji was having about the same level of success as Rei, only he was forced to discover his lack of luck at point blank range. His rifle had expelled the last of its ammo moments before and he was using its useless form as a club to keep the Angel at bay. Unfortunately, he was rapidly running out of ocean in which to fight as the Angel slowly forced him backwards towards the NERV forces stationed on the beach. In a burst of inspiration, he threw his rifle at the orange beast. With the weapon as a distraction, Shinji withdrew his progressive knife and moved in to slice at the creature with its hypersonic blade.

"Shinji! Rei! Try hitting both cores at the same time," instructed Misato from the forward command post. Though she had nothing but admiration for the two teens performance, the Operations Director knew that time was not on their side. Given the Angel's regenerative capabilities, sooner or later a mistake would be made and the battle would be lost. If they lived through this though, there was one thing for certain, Asuka was due a serious dressing down.

With an almost supernatural ease, Shinji and Rei's Evangelions slipped into mirror movements. Their moves becoming unconsciously synced. Blow by blow, the pair hacked their way through their opponent's defenses with the same care and precision that Asuka had claimed that neither possessed. Mistakes that were made were quickly accommodated for so that the Angels could not gain an advantage.

Unfortunately, while the duo had skill on their side, the Angel had something far more critical backing it up; experience. Since time immemorial, it had existed as one in two bodies. Separate, yet always together. Where its opponent could simulate the wonders of a singular duality, it was the real thing. Quicker than the mind can follow, the orange twin grabbed Unit-01 during a lunge and, using its momentum against it, threw the Evangelion with a great deal of force. Even with the impact reducing capabilities of LCL, the g-load on Shinji was simply too much for his body to handle and he slipped into unconsciousness. With his will no longer guiding the EVA, Unit-01's progressive knife slipped loose and, in a moment of cosmic irony, it sliced deeply into Rei's unit; causing both internal and armor damage as the hypersonic blade slid down through her Evangelion.

Seeing as all their opponents were no longer capable of fighting the white and orange Angels merged into their original state and continued along their original course. For it, the whole affair had been a minor nuisance. The only concern was the light up ahead, nothing would stop them from embracing it.

In the forward command post, everyone looked at their monitors in horror. Up until then, NERV had never been handed a defeat, even a temporary one. Each Angel had been handled quickly, though there were a few close calls, EVA and pilot had always returned home moderately in one piece. Now, two Evangelions had unknown levels of damage and a third would require massive work to render it battle worthy.

"S,status of the pilots," asked Misato softly.

"Shinji is unconscious but otherwise fine. The feedback from Unit-00's damage knocked out Rei. A full workup is required to determine whether there is any mental trauma. Asuka is just waking up," replied Maya in a detached manner.

Shigeru took that moment to speak up, "What are your orders?"

Misato sighed. "Inform the U.N. of our situation and ask for their assistance in incapacitating the Angel. Then get the children out of their EVA's and checked out. Finally," she said with a not small amount of coldness, "I want Pilot Soryu placed in the brig."

Several of the techs gasped in shock. "What charges," asked the long-haired officer.

Misato turned to face the man, her expression one of cold fury, "Disobeying the orders of a superior officer, endangering NERV personnel, and treason."

Every soul in the command post looked at their superior with open-mouthed surprise. Not even even when Shinji was detained after the Fourth Angel were such charges made. Some thought that what they heard could not possibly what the Captain really said. One such person was Shigeru, "M,ma'am?"

The cold exuded by Misato dropped into the negative numbers. "Can you follow my orders, soldier? Or do I have to find someone who can?"

"Y,yes ma'am. No ma'am. Right away," before he could get himself into any deeper water, Shigeru ran off to ensure his superior's orders were carried out to the letter.

After one last withering glare in the direction of her subordinates, Misato turned back to the monitors to watch the U.N.'s operations.

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With a shriek of outrage, Asuka found herself being thrown into one of NERV's delightfully oppressive holding cells. As she was getting her bearings, the red-head heard the door to her cell slam shut with that certain finality that only a jail can provide. Not caring that the door was several inches of solid steel, Asuka wailed away on the metal, venting her frustrations on its surface. But, like many a detainee before her, she found that all she received for her trouble was bruised fists. So, cradling her abused hands, Unit-02's pilot defaulted to her standard release method, yelling at the top of her lungs. Yet, even that was eventually taken away, as her throat grew increasingly soar. Finally, all Asuka was left with silence and her own thoughts.

Into this oppressive stillness shot a beam of brilliance from the outside world. Before Asuka could make use of the open door that the light signified, a form interposed itself between her an freedom. "Attention!"

"M,misato? What the hell?!:

Though her facial features were obscured by the light behind her, Misato's eyes narrowed at the girl's behavior. "I said attention, pilot!"

Asuka swallowed hard as the realization of Misato's seriousness started to make itself known. Slowly, the girl pulled herself up from the floor and brought herself to attention.

"That's better. Now, do you understand the charges filed against you?"

A spike of fear lanced through Asuka's mind, "Charges," she shrieked.

"I'll take that as a no." Stepping forward into the cell, Misato made sure that the pilot could see the face of her accuser. "After your performance in the battle, you are charged with insubordination, endangering NERV personnel, and treason. How do you respond to the charges against you?"

"How do I respond? Where the hell do you get off charging me?"

Misato smiled coldly. "You violated my orders in regards to the stated plan and attacked the Angel without permission. That's insubordination by the way. Your actions lead to a situation where your fellow pilots were placed in unreasonable danger, only luck and their skills resulted in zero fatalities. And, by attacking the Angel in the manner you did, you provided the enemy with a tactical advantage over your supposed allies. Allowing for a situation in which the said endangering could occur. In my book that's treason young lady."

"How the hell was I supposed to know that it would do that? And there is no way you can pin Ikari's stupidity on me."

The blood began to boil in Misato's veins, yet she managed to keep her voice even. "Can you handle thirteen gees of acceleration?"

"What's that got to do . . ."

"Answer the question!"

Asuka was startled at the vehemence of the Captain's response. "No."

"Well neither can Shinji, though he sure did try. When he lost consciousness, his connection with EVA was severed and simple physics took control. Are you going to blame Shinji for that? The way I remember things, you seemed to have been passed out for most of the battle yourself."

A deep, crimson, blush formed across Asuka's face in response to Misato's rebuke. Still, she was Asuka Langley Soryu, and she was not going to take this laying down. "If you had just made me lead none of that would have happened."

The Captain had to arch an eyebrow at that, "Oh really now. Are you telling me that you would not have assaulted the Angel in the same way if you had been lead?"

"I don't know," admitted the girl reluctantly.

"And what makes you more qualified to lead than Shinji?"

Suddenly the ball was back in her court and Misato had walked into territory that Asuka was very familiar with. "That's easy," she said with smug superiority, "I have years of training in Evangelion operations. And, my Unit-02 is vastly superior to his test type toy."

"Is that all?"

Asuka looked at the woman as if she had grown a second head, "What else is there?"

"Experience," said Misato as she ticked it off with her fingers like items on a grocery list. "The highest sync ratio of any pilot. He can follow orders," she mentally added, "_For the most part_." Suddenly, the woman's features softened as looked off into the distance, "Most importantly though, is that he cares. As much as going out hurts him, as much as he would rather be anywhere else, he goes out time after time. Not for fame, not for glory, he doesn't so much as ask for a 'good job'."

As suddenly as the softness appeared, it was once again replaced by a cold edge, "Tell me Asuka, can you say the same? When you look at EVA do you see a claim to fame or a way to save lives, even it means that you have to give up your own? That is something that you are going to have to answer for yourself Asuka, but let me leave you with one last thing to think about. A true hero, the kind of person that others strive to emulate, is always the last one to know it." Having said her peace, the violet haired woman turned on her heel and began walking away from the now-quiet girl.

Just as she had intended, Misato's words had had a great impact on Asuka. Still, there was something hanging over her head like a sword. "Um, Misato?"

Said woman sighed deeply, "What now Asuka?"

"About my charges," Asuka spoke softly, less she once again raise the woman's ire.

"The charges of treason and endangering NERV personnel are hereby revoked. As for the charge of insubordination, that will stand and a reprimand will be placed in your record. Additionally, you are confined to the brig for the rest of the day. After that, you are confined to quarters except during normal school hours and your piloting status is revoked for one week starting tomorrow."

Though her blood was boiling and crying out for vengeance, Asuka kept her head down and her voice even. "Understood sir." It was the only thing she could do. With them threatening her piloting, she had to stay in line. Piloting was all that she had.

"Oh, one more thing. After your week is up, you will start visiting a NERV appointed counselor until such time as they and I think you are ready to stop." This time, Misato didn't wait for the girl to say anything. She simply left the cell and never turned back, even when the door slammed shut behind her.

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Just as Asuka's cell slammed shut, a different door found itself being opened. This time though, it was done so under less dire circumstances. With a grateful sigh, Kazuki allowed the out rushing cool air to wash over him. "God, its hot out there," he grumbled. Though he was used to heat, it could get downright stifling in the summer back in his home dimension, somehow things seemed hotter and more oppressive here.

Still, heat or no, it always felt better when he came home. And while it wasn't the house he shared with Uncle Sanada and the rest, the apartment was as close as he could come by here. This place had a special quality above and beyond anything else though. This apartment, in a dimension far from his own, was a first step into the wider world of adulthood. Here, he got to actively shape the rules governing his life. He was able to come and go as he pleased, never worrying about a curfew. Kazuki also got to know Mitsuki Sanada better.

Of all the women in his life, Mitsuki Sanada was the hardest to pin down. Yayoi, Dee, even Mitsuki Rara, all treated him the same, regardless of whom was watching. In professional settings, Yayoi would put on a thin veneer of distance, but the warmth and caring was there and plain for him to see. Mitsuki though, was an entirely different story altogether. When they were alone, she could be soft and gentle, with just a touch of the spark that could make her such an irrepressible force. That changed when the others got around though. As soon as Mitsuki Rara or Yayoi showed up, she became distant and cold. To make things odder, she seemed to get especially clingy in the presence of her parents. It was as if she feared that they would send him away or something. On this world though, all that changed. Here, she was a mixture of her clingy and gentle selves. And it didn't matter who was around, she was always like that. For the first time, Kazuki actually felt as if he was seeing the real Mitsuki. If that was true, then it was a great reason for being stranded in this place, where Angels attacked and giant robots used a city as a shield.

Walking into the small dining area of the apartment, it became clear to the dimensionally displaced man that Mitsuki had come and gone already. On the table rested a white sheet of paper. In Mitsuki's unmistakable scrawl, it read, "Gone to Misato's. There is a sandwich in the fridge. Mitsuki."

"Always looking out for me, eh Mitsuki," chuckled Kazuki.

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Several minutes, and one expertly made sandwich, later Kazuki was out the door and walking towards the apartment shared by his friends Misato and Shinji. The later was an interesting soul. He saw a lot of himself in the younger man. Before Mitsuki had brought him to the Sanada home and initiated the events that led to his parallel adventure, Kazuki was on much the same path that Shinji had walked. His insistence on seeing things that all others could not left him very much alone. Even his parents had struggled vainly to understand what was going on. And, like a star, as the fuel of his life was slowly expended, Kazuki found himself withdrawing into himself. Shinji, seemed to have been on a similar path, though the young man was much closer to becoming a black hole than he ever got.

He put away those thoughts as he neared the door to the apartment. A quick ring of the buzzer summoned Mitsuki, who had a huge grin. "Hey."

"Hi. You've got to come in and see this," she laughed and beckoned Kazuki in.

The Yotsuga male found his curiosity piqued. Anything that made Mitsuki laugh that wasn't him in a female pilot suit was sure to be something hilarious. "_At least she isn't laughing at me this time_." Soon enough, Kazuki saw what had his roommate practically rolling on the floor. "Now that's different."

In the middle of the Katsuragi living area someone had set up two large mats that appeared to be made for Twister. To these were hooked attached large machines where LED numbers counted points. That, in of itself, was odd enough. What really spiked the needle into the red line was the oddly clothed forms of Shinji and Rei acting out some sort of bizarre single player version of said game.

"They set it up before I got here," said Mitsuki between chortles.

Kazuki raised an eyebrow, "But why?"

Mitsuki shook her head, her laughter having reached a point where she was unable to speak.

"Well I guess this means that Shinji really is one of the guys." The look Mitsuki gave him told Kazuki that she had no clue as to what he meant. With a smile, he said, "He's dressed like a woman too."

Before, Mitsuki had been just barely holding things together. Sure, she was having a hard time breathing, but at least she was able to maintain a quasi erect bearing. After Kazuki's quip though, she lost all containment on her laughter. It burst from her in a great explosion. So thoroughly was her incapacitation that the normally composed woman found herself rolling on the ground with tears streaming from her eyes. Meanwhile, in a scene created just for her, Shinji, Kazuki, and Makoto all sat around a table wearing pretty pink dresses while sipping tea and talking about the weather.

As they performed the motions deemed to give the highest probability of a sync between the two of them, both Rei and Shinji saw Mitsuki rolling on the floor. Already showing a certain level of sameness, the pair pulled off their headphones at the same instant. With the removal of the music of the headphones, the teens could hear that she was not alone in her laughter. Kazuki was there as well, though his was not as boisterous as the gasping woman on the floor.

It was at the sight of the male that knocked Rei and Shinji out of their synchronicity. Shinji broke out into a huge grin as he waved at his friend. "Hey!"

Rei though, reacted much differently. Instead of any positive reaction, she flinched away; even though Kazuki was making no hostile motions. The mere sight of the seemingly inconsequential male evoked some primal terror within her. At first, she had thought to report these feelings to the Commander, yet for some reason she always held back the information from him. Both reactions vexed her immensely. She should be able to deconstruct the feelings and logically handle them, as she had done with so many other things in the past. None of her mental tricks worked upon the gordian knot of emotion and that only added irritation and frustration onto the pile.

Kazuki saw none of that though. Despite his laughter, he was in far more control of himself than Mitsuki was. Even as he greeted Shinji with a smile, the Yotsuga male took note of Rei's unconscious reaction to his presence. None of the others had been able to formulate an explanation as to the cause of her reactions. Still, whatever the cause, it hurt to know that another feared him so visibly; especially when he had done nothing to warrant such a reaction.

Leaving the odd reactions of Rei Ayanami behind for the moment, Kazuki turned back to the far more understandable teen. "What's going on?"

Shinji looked down at his attire and turned scarlet at the sight of his outfit. It had been bad enough when Mitsuki saw him in the "workout suit" Misato had gotten him, for another guy to see him like that was downright mortifying. "W,we're practicing to beat an Angel," he answered quickly in an attempt to give a more masculine cause for his rather girly clothes.

The older male nodded in understanding. "That makes sense." If they were going to make him wear a female pilot suit to use Hartzenen, then Kazuki could believe that the people on this world would do something similar. It seemed as if sexual blurring was a common place thing among giant robot agencies. Perhaps one of life's little quirks. Whatever the reason, he knew not to dwell on it for too long, such mental were not very conducive to proper mental functioning.

After several failed attempts to compose herself, Mitsuki finally was able to suppress the hilarious imagery enough to regain a modicum of self control. Pulling herself up from the ground, she once again cast an eye towards the equipment the teens had set up. "And how, exactly, will playing one-man Twister help?"

Unit-01's pilot opened his mouth to answer, but just as quickly it slammed shut. For the life of him, he couldn't think of a way to answer that didn't sound bad. Plus, Shinji realized, he wasn't quite sure exactly why they were doing what they were doing. Sure, he had the big picture, but the details were a tad fuzzy. The only other soul nearby who did know was Rei. Turning his head towards the pale girl, Shinji pleaded with his eyes, even going so far as to slightly nod his head in Mitsuki's direction.

Rei though, had never gotten a firm grasp on the non verbals of communication. She was a person who valued precision and such methods were extremely imprecise. As such, both she and her mentor had taken no steps to including such concepts into her education. So, instead of understanding, a look of concern spread across her face as she asked, "Are you well Pilot Ikari?"

Even though he had dealt with her for a while now, Shinji was completely surprised by Rei's question. "No! I mean yes. Yes, Ayanami, I'm fine. I was just hoping you could answer Mitsuki."

"I see. Perhaps next time you shall endeavor to make your intentions more clear." Trying her best to avoid looking at Kazuki, Rei turned address Mitsuki. "During the last Angel battle, it was revealed that the enemy possess a certain strategic advantage. To combat this, Pilot Ikari and I must move with perfect timing in order to strike the cores at the precise instant. Currently the Angel is in a regeneration cycle, giving us time to ready."

Immediately, Kazuki saw, what appeared to be, a flaw in the plan. "Wait, the thing is just standing there?"

Now that she was a tad bit deeper into her comfort zone, Rei was able to control her reactions to him. "Correct."

Mitsuki saw where Kazuki was going. "Then why don't you just attack it now?"

"We can't," said Shinji sadly. "The EVA's took damage in the fight. We're going to need all that time to repair them."

"Anything we can do to help," offered Kazuki.

"Doubtful," pronounced Rei flatly. "Your technological expertise and security clearance are not sufficient to aid in the reconstruction."

"I think he meant in general, Ayanami." Shinji turned a smile towards the older man. "If you can keep Mitsuki from laughing at us some more, I think we will be fine."

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In a small valley, far away from the sleeping fortress-city of Tokyo-3, the hulking from of the Angel stood still. Its body showed numerous signs of the devastation that the U.N.'s N2 strike had wrought. Still, if one stared at the grotesque creature long enough, they could see subtle signs of its regeneration. The monstrosity stood in silent defiance of man's dominion over the Earth. Some of the best weapons that humanity's inhumanity had ever produced only slowed its assault for a brief time. Soon, Israfel would be reunited with the All-Father and a new Eden would be rendered unto the planet.

As far as plans went, it was simple, it was straight forward, and even the most simple of creatures could understand it. Unfortunately, for Israfel, he had forgotten to tell it to one particular individual. In spite of every conceivable method of detection currently directed towards the Angel and the valley, the aforementioned being floated past without a single twinge on the equipment. At the edge of her awareness, Ifurita acknowledged the existence of the sensors, but paid them no mind. She was more concerned with the Angel standing tall in the center of a large crater. It was doubtful that even she could survive such a blast.

To make matters worse, her own software was indicating that the Angel was far beyond her power curve. There was, of course, her ability to dimensionally shift it. But without some sort of fixed dimensional location, such as El-Hazard, there was no telling where the creature could end up. Knowing the capriciousness of the universe, it was possible that, had she attempted such a measure, it would arrive in the very same dimension that the Phantom Tribe hailed from. As she neared the barrier that Shinji had called an A.T. Field, the Demon God cocked her head to the side. "Interesting," she muttered. "A phased space as a solid plane. Incoming matter impacts upon the physical warping of local space, while energy is conducted through the entirety of the barrier. Conceivably there is no limit to the amount of force this can repel, given sufficient power expenditure."

But nothing, in this, or any other, dimension, was perfect; despite what some believed. This omni-dimensional law held just as true for the A.T. Field as it did for everything else. Before the breadth of Ifurita's sensors, tiny imperfections became apparent. For starters, the same technology that rendered her invisible to practically everything also altered her phase just enough to pass through the field. Gingerly, Ifurita reached out towards the barrier. "_I hope this doesn't hurt_." Sure enough, her hand sank into the shield. "_Feels like warm honey._" There was also a mild, almost euphoric, electric charge, but it didn't impact her systems.

Passing through the barrier, brought the Demon God face-to-face with the Angel. When the creature didn't make a move, she nodded. "_Good, it did not detect my penetration of the field_." With nothing blocking her sight, Ifurita was able to get a good look at what the Angel was comprised of. The creature had a DNA structure similar to others on the planet, but it was comprised of odd elements. One thing was certain though, the power source, was unlike anything else on Earth.

She laid her hand against the red orb. It was warm and throbbed with its own inner beat. "_Like a heart_," she thought sadly. For many a year, death had been her sole vocation. With Makoto-dear she had found a new path. Now, she would have to return to that darkness. At her command, nano-machines poured out from her hand and began to wiggle in between the various atoms of the Angel's S2 organ. She could spare them, as her internal factories could create more given sufficient time and matter. For the Angel though, time was no longer an option. Now that the nano-machines were on it, their defensive programs would direct them to ruthlessly attack the creature. Before too long there would be nothing left of its heart.

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In a darkened room, Makoto Mizuhara sat quietly. Far away, his love was in deep pain and it tore at him fiercely. When Ifurita had announced that she would go out and kill the Angel, she had sounded just as cold and detached as she did when she first awoke on the Forbidden Island. After the Jet Alone thing, she had been so happy because she had used her power to help those who couldn't help themselves. They had talked till there were no more words about how she felt and how it made the world seem so much brighter. And no one, on any side, had died in the process. At least by her hand. That she was out to take a life ate at her.

And all he could do is sit and wait. In the silence. Hoping that the warm thoughts he sent her way helped in some small measure. So sit he did, waiting for his Goddess to return to him.

With a gentle fluttering of the blinds Ifurita touched down inside the apartment. Her landing was as silent as a dove on a branch. Still, Makoto knew immediately of her arrival. Walking towards her, he held his arms and his heart wide open. "Come here," he said softly.

Like lightning, she was in his arms. Her lithe body shook as massive sobs wrenched free from inside. "I,I,I killed it," she wailed. "When w,w,will it stop?"

Makoto gently rubbed her hair. "I don't know. I wish I did." As much as he wanted to shed tears of his own, he knew that he had to be strong for her. Her's was the strength of the body, he would have to be the strength of the soul.

Eventually, they ended up on the couch. Neither really slept, the emotion was too heavy for that. At least, by the time the sun rose, both would feel a touch better than they did to begin with.

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"What do you mean, its dead?"

The question was cold, precise, completely neutral, and yet, Ritsuko could hear the malice and accusation that impregnated every word that Gendo has spoken. "The Angel's core is completely gone. As such the creature is inert."

"Explain."

"Early this morning, sensors detected a dark spot on the core. Over the next several hours the region steadily grew in size. Power output increased in the non-affected areas, possibly to fight, or to compensate for, the loss. When the power curve reached zero, all the necrotic tissue dissolved into an inorganic mass."

"Any explanation for this conversion," asked Fuyutsuki. There was still enough of a scientist in him to marvel at the unknown.

Ritsuko shook her head. "None. Other than a few minor, and apparently random, fluctuations in the Angel's A.T. Field, nothing happened."

"Could the fluctuations be the cause of the necrosis?" Again the even measure of Gendo's words carried a seething undertone.

"Doutful. It was more like some small object impacted against the field. A bird or something. Besides, there is nothing I know of that would product such a reaction in a core."

"Take measures to shield the EVAs. Dismissed."

The faux-blond turned and stalked out of the room. "_How am I supposed to protect against something that I don't even understand?_" Still, no matter her thoughts on the situation, she had a job to do. "_I better figure out something quick, or he will be rough tonight_," and a boss that she desperately needed to please; and a angry Gendo did not make for a happy Ritsuko.

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"Things are diverging further from the scenario," muttered Fuyutsuki.

"Indeed. It is as if the incident with the Fifth started a chain reaction."

"Why is it that you don't sound to concerned with that?"

Gendo smirked. "Because professor, even though the events have been changing, so far the Angels have arrived as scheduled. The only parts of the scenario that really need to operate flawlessly are those at the end. Until then, things can go however they want. Uncertainty will drive the Council mad as they try to hold onto their outdated timetables. That will undoubtedly keep them too concerned with the next bend to worry about us."

The older man nodded, "True. Though, I can bet those tight fists are going to try and reduce our budget, what with two Angels dieing without NERV intervention."

"Leave the wrangling to me. Events may just help us, instead of being a hindrance."

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Author's Notes: This seems like a good place to end things. This chapter came a lot easier than others, and I hope you all enjoyed it. Oh, the mention of the Battosai is the only amount of crossover with Kenshin that there will be, just wanted to let you all know. No super speed Shinji.

Rei at the battle: Remember, the reason that Unit-00 was not there originally was that it had received enough damage versus the Fifth that it warranted an upgrade. Since Zinv destroyed the fifth that never happened and she could attend.

The LAC: Well, honestly, I like me a big gun. And while I understand that the weapons in Evangelion are designed to fight an Angel after the A.T. Field has been neutralized, they are kind of pointless. Most of the time, they don't work or something else equally inane happens and they have to rip the bloody thing apart. Plus, they are really just mobile artilary pieces fitted into the shape of massive magnums and assault rifles. At the beginning of the show, Gendo smirks and skoffs at the inability of the conventional military to hurt the Angel. You would think that he would have come up with something slightly better than an assault rifle. Since he didn't, I made the LAC, partially as a neat toy and partially to show the impact of more intelligent people on the scene.

I hope you all are liking what I am doing with Asuka. Despite my dislike of her, I am trying to treat her fairly as I remake her into a viable person. I don't intend on letting her get so bad that she ends up like she did in the anime though.

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


	7. Volcano Day

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 6 - Volcano Day

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With the sigh of a satisfied worker at the end of a long day of work, Misato opened the door to her home. As the cool air rushed out the open door, the woman could smell a wonderful aroma wafting along the breeze. "I'm home," she cried out as the portal closed behind her.

From deeper within the abode echoed out a male voice, "Welcome home honey!"

Misato shuddered as the voice trailed down her spine. "_No matter how many times I hear that, it still feels good_," she mentally purred. For years in the recesses of her mind, the purple-haired woman had dreamed of the day she would hear that from someone. Now that she had it, she never wanted to let the feeling go. Kicking off her shoes, Misato sauntered towards the kitchen where she was sure her love was working.

Propping herself up on the frame at the border of the kitchen, Misato made sure to enhance her assets and figure to ensure optimal effect on her target. In a voice that oozed sex with every syllable, she practically moaned, "Hey you."

Sure enough, her husband shivered at the sound of her voice. Still, he was the master of this space, and would not let even his beloved wife hold all the cards in this situation. As slowly as he could, the man sat the spoon he used for stirring on the counter and turned what he was making down to low. Like a predatory animal, he turned and moved toward Misato in a way that he knew would tantalize her to the absolute. Gently, almost feather-like in his pressure, the man slid a hand up Misato's smooth arm before cupping her face. It took a modicum of effort to bring her in for a deeply passionate kiss. After a pleasurable eternity, they parted and he stared into her soft brown eyes, "Hey yourself."

"Damn you," she growled playfully, "you know what that does to me."

"The kids aren't due back until tomorrow," he said with an accompanying eyebrow wiggle.

"Mmm, sounds interesting. What do you propose?"

He let his hand drift down across his wife's frame until it rested on her toned derriere. "Well, we are certainly overly dressed."

She began tracing circles across her love's chest. "Do you have a way to fix that?" Her answer was the sound of a zipper as he undid her skirt. As she felt his hand move between the thin material of her underwear and her flesh, Misato moaned in appreciation.

"Why don't we take this to our room," he whispered huskily into her ear.

"You don't have to ask me twice." Before she knew it, Misato found herself in the room she shared with the wonderful man fate had sent her way. In the state she was in, it wouldn't have taken much to set her off and her husband knew it. He worked her slow and sensually, caressing every inch of flesh to drive her absolutely insane. Eventually, Misato knew nothing but an ever expanding universe of pleasure. As it approached infinity, she could take no more and her whole world seemed to explode and with it she cried out her love's name, "SHINJI!"

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"SHINJI!" It was a cry so loud that it woke Misato from the wonderful dream world that she had experienced. Panting heavily from her release, the NERV Captain looked at the room she was in with wide eyes. For a few disorienting moments, her mind wondered why she wasn't in the bed she shared with her husband Shinji. When reality intruded though, it did so violently. The world that her subconscious had created had been perfect. It was everything she could have wanted from life and more. With its passing into the place where all dreams go with the light of a new day, Misato grieved for their loss.

When Shinji found his roommate after her cry summoned him, he saw her form wracked by deep, heaving, sobs. On another world, a different Shinji Ikari would have left her to her sorrow. This world though was different, and without hesitation, the young man surged forward to help his friend with whatever troubled her.

As her tears slowly abated, Misato began to realize that Shinji was gently rocking her where they sat. A part of her wanted to rebel at the childish manner, but the rest of her just luxuriated in the warm feelings of safety and contentment she felt. Those feelings had been springing up more and more, especially around Shinji. She wasn't quite sure what it was yet, they were changing and evolving too quickly for her to really pin them down. For now though, Misato just let the tide carry her where ever it may take her.

"A,are you okay Misato? You screamed my name."

Thoughts of the dream she had awoken from nearly sent her back into tears but she steeled herself. "I'm fine now Shinji. Its just . . . have you ever had a dream so good that it hurt to wake up?"

The teen smiled wistfully, "Yeah, I've had one or two. It must have been a real good one," he said consolingly.

Misato sighed as she ran a hand across her face. "It was, perfect. But enough about me, I should probably be getting up."

"Okay Misato," he smiled. "If you want to talk about it . . ."

"Thanks Shinji, but I think this one is one that I should keep to myself for now."

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Memories of that dream lingered with Misato throughout the day. They served to shield her against the tired doldrums that seemed to punctuate most of her time at NERV. But not even they could put up a front against the storm that just raged into her office.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS," screamed an outraged Asuka. In her hand, the irate girl waved a sheet of paper.

"What the hell is what Pilot Sohryu," replied Misato. Her tone was cold and clear that she was not appreciative of how her subordinate was acting.

Asuka completely missed that tone though, she had built up a full head of steam and she would be dammed if she didn't say her peace. Slamming the paper on Misato's desk, the girl glared at the woman. "You rejected my request for vacation! Don't you know that there is a class trip soon?!"

The Captain stood and looked down her nose at the girl. "Yes I did reject your request Pilot! For starters, it was in unbelievably poor taste for you to file such a request while still under probation. Even if you weren't I would've still denied it. In case you've forgotten, we're at war soldier. Since we do not know when the next Angel will attack, all pilots must be ready to sortie at a moment's notice." Though Asuka was going purple with rage, Misato did not let up. "Furthermore, since your week isn't up yet, you are still confined to your quarters until tomorrow. So unless you want to have your status revoked a few more weeks, I would suggest you get to your damn quarters right this second!"

The girl just screamed with rage before turning on her heel and stalking out of the room. As much as she wanted to rip the bitch a new one, Misato's piloting threat hung overhead, always ready to fall. The red-head never noticed the Third Child who had to leap out of her path lest he find himself run over.

As he stumbled into Misato's office, Shinji looked back at the girl who he had to avoid. "What's wrong with her?"

Misato winced, while she could handle Asuka's reaction to the news, the woman worried how he would react to it. "She found out that you guys can't go on the trip."

"Oh yeah, the trip. Honestly I wasn't planning on going," said Shinji as he shrugged his shoulders.

That surprised Misato greatly. "Really? I'd think you'd want to go off with Kensuke and Toji."

Shinji shook his head. "With my swimming ability? A beach is the last place I want to be. Besides, I figured that we'd need to stay on standby in case an Angel attacked. Makoto, Kazuki, and I have a Slayers marathon planned, along with some other stuff."

Quite frankly, she was impressed. Misato hadn't really expected Shinji to take the needs of the war so seriously. "Great! I was kinda worried that you'd be upset about it. You'd have every right to be mad that you didn't get some vacation time every now and then."

The teen looked at the floor. "If it weren't for the Angels, I may have never met you or Mitsuki, or any of the others."

Misato tilted her head as she mulled that over. For so long she had cursed the Angels for what they had done to her and to the world. Not once did she ever think of what things would have been like if they never existed. Would she still be the same person? Would any of them? And a world without knowing all of those she had met here, Misato wasn't sure if she wanted to live there. "Guess there's something to thank those bastards for after all."

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Later, and in a separate part of the base, Ritsuko Akagi was entering the lair of the most feared person in all of Tokyo 3.

"Dr. Akagi." Gendo Ikari had a way with words. Just as he crafted others into weapons in his own private war against God, so to did he hone words for his own devices. The bespectacled commander could speak volumes with a single syllable. This time it was clear that, while he was mildly interested in the doctor's presence, that interest could quickly turn a great deal more sinister.

The bottle blond hefted a thick folder filled with notes and formulae. "Sir, I'd like to request an addition to my team." A slight raise of Gendo's eyebrow made it clear that his interest had deepened, if only a little. "I've recently come in contact with an expert in multidimensional space theory. Some of her notes surpass the leading minds in the field. I think she would be an asset, if only to keep her out of someone else's hands."

"How so?"

She spread several sheets of paper across her superior's desk. "This is just some of the stuff she and I talked about and I'm pretty sure we could build a device that could completely negate an AT Field."

That certainly got his attention. "I thought that was impossible."

Ritsuko nodded quickly. "So did I. All the science up till now showed that only something like an EVA could do the job. We know an AT Field is a phased space that shunts matter and energy across the surface. It has been theorized that a sufficiently large amount of energy at a singular point along the field would be enough to punch a hole though, but it would require all of the power in Japan to do it. These equations suggest though that it would be possible to attain the same negation of an EVA without a unit."

Looking down at the sheets of paper, Gendo only understood about a third of what he was seeing. The formulas went in directions and dealt with concepts that he had never even heard of. "Can this be made into a mobile weapon?"

She shook her head. "No sir, the emitters and power systems required for what we are talking about would make mobility a practical impossibility, even given systems like the EVAs. But, with a minimum of work, we could work the systems into Tokyo 3's defense network. It would make our artillery emplacements more effective and limit the strain on the EVAs should they have to go to emergency power."

Though none of his scenarios had predicted such a thing, even Gendo could admit that it appeared beneficial. Against the Angels, they needed all the help they could get. And if the old men tried anything, they would find Tokyo 3 more than adequately defended. "Proceed as you see fit."

"Thank you sir. I'll be sure to tell her as soon as possible."

"How soon can these changes be made?"

"Honestly, at this stage I can't be sure. When I get Mitsuki in here and start working on it fully, I should be able to get a better idea."

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Kazuki was a blur of motion as he moved through his apartment. Trying his best, the man used every ounce of nervous energy available to him to tidy the place up to Mitsuki's rather high standards. A plan was churning in the back of his mind. He had finally made a something of a resolution in regards to the situation with Mitsuki, now all he had to do is work up the courage to ask her. To be honest, he had no idea how she would respond to his request for a date-like activity. The probabilities of her saying yes were nearly as high as were the ones for a no. A no, one might add, that could easily come in the form of some uproarious laughter. He shook his head furiously, "No Kazuki. You're not going to think like that. You are are going to walk right up to her and ask her."

From behind, a voice spoke up. "Ask who, what?

The Yotsuga male felt every shred of confidence wither and die at the sound of that voice. Jumping like a scared animal, he whirled around to take in the full visage of Mitsuki. "Mitsuki! What are you doing here?!"

Mitsuki smiled at his antics, "Oh I don't know Kazuki. I thought that this was my home too."

"R,right! Yeah. Of course it is."

"And I do believe I asked you a question," she said with a smirk. "_He's so cute when he gets all flustered._"

Kazuki was so caught up in the moment that thoughts of anything said more than a second ago were long gone. "You did?"

Mitsuki leaned in close as her face sported a cheshire's grin. "I asked you who you were going to ask and what that question was going to be."

He paled. Thoughts of his prior conversation with himself came rushing to the fore. Logically, he knew that this was the time to ask. A kernel of fear was screaming its head off to say anything but that. Before either side could answer, he noticed something glinting in Mitsuki's eyes. Kazuki couldn't be sure, but there seemed to be a hint of hope lurking behind the mischief he was so used to seeing there. It was that which stiffened his spine enough to ask the question he had created. "Do you want to go out to dinner? Maybe see a movie after?"

It took every ounce of her self control not to start cheering and bouncing throughout the room. As it was, in Mitsuki's head a tiny version of herself was kicking an equally small Yayoi off a cliff while Mitsuki Rara looked on fearfully. Making sure to only allow a small measure of her feelings through, the young woman smiled genuinely. "Sure Kazuki."

The dimensionally challenged teen looked at his companion hopefully, "Really?"

She nodded and added a bit more warmth to her smile, "Sounds like fun."

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As she walked towards school, her Section 2 escorts having ditched her shortly after the first day, Asuka had the feeling that the whole world seemed a little brighter. Just the knowledge that she could once again go wherever she wanted took a huge load off her mind. Logically, she knew that nothing in the world was different, but emotionally Asuka felt like she could breathe easier, her movements no longer shackled as they once were. Plus, it was really getting hard to make excuses to Hikari as to why they weren't able to hang out after school.

School was becoming problematic though. The guys were fawning over her, but they kept trying to get into her underwear. As for the girls, they still hated her because of the guys. No one knew she was a pilot, something that had garnered her a great deal of accolades back in Germany. And the teacher was smart, too damn smart for a little podunk school in Japan. It seemed as if he always called on her, even after blowing him off the first few times with hastily worded answers and mumbling. In her opinion, school was for other people, especially one so pedestrian as a primary school.

Luckily, there was Hikari. With her, she could feel half-assed normal. The freckled girl had even accepted it when Asuka had said that there were many things about her life that she wasn't able to talk about. Asuka suspected that her friend knew about her status as a pilot and just politely declined to ask. Hikari's status as a true friend had been a major reason for her desire to go on the school trip. It would give them some time to get some serious girl bonding in, along with working on her tan.

But no. That was yet another thing denied her. The wimpy do-gooder and the albino freak could both go around and do whatever they wanted. Everyone knew who and what they were. They didn't have to live in some creepy building that no one ever went to. "_Look at him_," she mentally growled as her eyes zeroed in on her fellow pilot. "_I bet the little pervert is stringing along a dozen stupid sluts who spread their legs because he is the 'Great Shinji Ikari'_."

A part of her knew what the real source of that anger was. It was the side of her that had excelled so greatly in school, that was ruled solely by logic. She was nervous. Asuka felt more nervous than she had in all the years of her life combined. Today was the day. The day when she would have to go and meet with her new psychologist, a Dr. Wyatt. Unlike other such visits, her therapy was directly linked to her piloting. With her week of suspension up, Misato had called to make sure that Asuka knew her first appointment was today. To further grind the knife in, the officer stated, in no uncertain terms, that the man's evaluation would be crucial in determining whether or not she would maintain her pilot status. It would take every ounce of her cunning to trick the stupid bastard, and with her nerves on end it would be doubly hard.

So, in that terrifyingly fast, yet excruciatingly slow, manner that time seemed to save for just these types of moments, all of class passed by in a weirdly focused blur. Mechanically, she took notes and paid attention, at least as much as she was willing to, all the while wishing that the clock would choose a speed and stick to it. After a while, the red-head had reached a state that, while not totally zen, was certainly operating on its own groove. Said groove skidded abruptly to the side when the teacher called out her name. "Yes Mr. Mizuhara?"

Makoto looked at his newest student warily. Since she had first joined his class, he had watched her as closely as he could. The girl was clearly full of herself, but at the same time he could see confusion and a sense of loss hovering around her. On the whole, he wasn't the best judge of how to treat people, El-Hazard had made that fact quite clear, but even he had something of a problem with the plans involving Asuka. If he had been the planner, a softer approach would have probably been taken, "_But that's why you are a scientist, and Mitsuki is a politician_," he thought wryly. "You are to report to the office immediately. Take your belongings too, I'm told that you will be leaving early."

Asuka tried very hard not to meet the stares of the others in her class. Still, she could feel them weighing down upon her. Though she had always tried to remain above the petty school rumor mongering, it couldn't hold her attention well, the Sohryu female did know how others viewed a call to the office. The addendum of taking her stuff with her would add fuel to the gossip fires. By her reckoning, when she arrived tomorrow she would be dieing of a disease, secretly meeting her much older boyfriend and/or girlfriend, and getting an abortion, all at the same time. "_Hopefully, Hikari can keep the rumor mill under control_," she prayed as she walked out of the room.

When the door closed behind her, leaving the young woman alone in the corridor, Asuka was sorely tempted to just run for it. Run from the responsibilities, the pressure, and more importantly, run from the damn mind quacks. Instead, she brought herself up to her full height and began to march towards the office. "_I'll send that bastard packing, just you wait._"

The silence of the hallway made the sounds of her footfalls echo loudly to Asuka's ears. As she neared the main office of the school, the red-head spotted the massive form of a man standing leisurely at the door. Already, Asuka knew that something was up, Japanese men do not reach the heights that he did, meaning that he was probably a foreigner. His brown suit only added credence to that hypothesis. After a few seconds, the man noticed her and made a small attempt to straighten his jacket.

"_Pfft, pervert_," she thought angrily, "_like I'm going to do anything with him_." Still, whatever his motive, Asuka was not about to let him intimidate her. With a haughty air she attempted to walk past him.

Instead of moving out of the way though, the man spoke. "You must be Asuka Sohryu."

Immediately, defensive attacks and counters began running through Asuka's mind. No one walked up to someone else in such a manner without possessing some ill intent. Still, there was a possibility, albeit slim, that he was a non threat, so she refrained from outright attacking him. "Who's asking," she asked guardedly.

The man, who's accent labeled him a native of Britain, looked positively aghast. "Pardon me. I was told by a Miss Misato Katsuragi that you and I were to meet today. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Gordon Gordon Wyatt."

Asuka let her defenses lower, if only a bit. She HAD been told to expect the visit. The nature of it was what confused her. "What's the code phrase." If he really was who he claimed to be, then he would know the security password. If he wasn't, then he would get a serious taste of shoe.

"Yebisu is better than ambrosia."

Though the phrase was the correct one, both Asuka and Dr. Wyatt looked mildly ashamed to have even known of the component words. Of course Misato had to be the one to devise the pass phrases. Asuka would have put a great deal of money on betting that the woman had been sloshed when it came time to make them. "_It could have been worse_," she thought with a grimace, "_it could have been something about instant ramen_."

She nodded at him, satisfied that he was on the level. After all, no spies would expect an agency like NERV to use such a password. "Okay. Misato told me about you. So how are we going to do this?"

"Well I thought we could putter over to the golf course and try a few holes."

Asuka did nothing to hide her distaste for the proposition, her actual surprise being temporarily overridden. "Ug, golf seems so boring."

"Oh I agree. But, it is always wise to try things at least once before you totally write them off. And since we both seem to have never played, neither will really know the rules, will they?"

That did surprise her, "You don't know how to play?"

As he shook his head, the light reflected off his nose, making it painfully obvious that it had been broken at least once in the past. "Not a single put. Not even one of those places with the dinosaur that blocks your shot."

In regards to most people, Asuka had a very suspicious mind, and right now it was working overtime. "Let me guess, you want to check me out in a situation where I'll be unable to raise any defenses."

"Very good! Or rather, it would have been good if that was my plan," if Gordon Gordon derived any amusement from puffing her up and then deflating her, he didn't show it. "Since I have never played either, I would be at just as much of a disadvantage as yourself. Would I not?"

"Yeah . . . I guess so." Already she was not sure what was going on and they hadn't actually gotten to the session.

The man clapped his hands together and smiled, "Good. Now let us be off, shall we."

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A few minutes later, Asuka was in Dr. Wyatt's car as the man drove through the streets of Tokyo 3. So far, the whole experience had be far from what she had expected. There were a whole host of questions chomping at the bit to be answered and she was not about to let social niceties get in the way of at least some of those queries. "So," she said as she eyed him warily, "what do you know?"

"I know a great deal on many subjects. What, pray tell, do I know in this instance?"

Asuka rolled her eyes, she hated it when others were being coy. "About me. How much of my file did you read?"

"Oh that," he said as he changed lanes. "None of it."

Now that was wholly unbelievable. "None? Oh come on. You guys always read the file."

Gordon Gordon chuckled, "Yes, I suppose most of my colleagues do do that. Truth be told, so did I once upon a time."

Sensing a story, Asuka went along for the ride, "But not anymore?"

"No, not anymore. More and more I realized that we allowed the reports of others to cloud our judgments about a new patient. Eventually I just left the profession and became a chef."

She may have laughed at him if she didn't sense the seriousness there. "But you're not anymore. What changed?"

"The Second Impact."

Now, there were many things that someone could say and Asuka wouldn't give a damn. That answer though, well over the years it was one that she had heard often. No matter the person, their whole face would shut down and a palatable chill filled the space. In her own studies of the mind, there was ample documentation of such things from other great events of trauma and the Second Impact was the greatest trauma ever. So, for now, she would leave him alone with the past, and let him work through it himself.

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In a separate part of the city Ifurita walked with several bags of supplies. Though the weight of the stuff may have triggered some surprise in others, what really caught people's attention was the wide, beaming, smile that seemed to be etched into her face. Many who had wilted in the perpetual summer heat felt invigorated upon seeing her. She really didn't realize the effect she had on others, all she saw were smiling faces and she reflected what she saw.

Today it was her job to get the supplies for the little group they had set up. For others the task may have been seen as boring, even something to be foisted onto someone else. To her though, it was an affirmation of the new life she had been lucky to live. Instead of seeing the city around her as a possible target for her master's wrath, it was her home, if only for a little while. The people around her, she could learn their names, rejoice in their triumphs and share the grief of their tragedies. She was so happy that she was compelled to hum a tune she had heard back in ancient El-Hazard.

She had one last stop on her journey that day. Still humming her tune, she opened the door and smiled at the proprietor, "Hello Mrs. Tanaka."

Every town, every where, no matter how big, no matter how small, has a Mrs. Tanaka. She could be white, she could be black, she could even be a flamingo. After five minutes she knew a customer's whole life and she knew every one. The Mrs. Tanakas of the world were the eternal grandmother to us all; always ready with a smile, a kind word, and that perfect piece of advice that made all your troubles seem not so troublesome.

"Why Ifurita, my dear," she exclaimed happily. "How are you today child?"

The former Demon God returned the happy smile, "I'm feeling excellent. Are you well?"

"Well you know, my trick knee is acting up. But when isn't it," she cackled.

"I still say that you should see a doctor. They could help you with that."

"A doctor child? No no," she said with a shake of her head, " if I went and did that, how would I tell if it's goin' to rain?" The woman smiled at her little running joke, "Well what can I do for you today honey?"

"Oh just some more of the usual."

That was all the shopkeeper need to know. In fact, she knew it before the girl even said a thing. As she puttered about her work, the elderly woman called out, "So how's that man of yours?"

As it often did when the subject of Makoto came around, Ifurita began to smile that certain way that seemed to make her glow. "He is well. He's been enjoying his new position at the school."

"Well that's all well and good for him dear. But what does he do for you? I always see you doing the buying around these parts."

"Oh Makoto dear does the cooking and we share in the cleaning. And when he gets off work the first thing he does is rush home to be with me."

Mrs. Tanaka stared at her customer for a few moments before dropping her concerned look and nodding. "Well then he knows what is what then. Its hard to argue with a smile like that."

As she accepted her purchases, Ifurita handed over the required payment. "Bye Mrs. Tanaka. See you soon."

"You too dearie. And be sure to bring your man around."

Ifurita nodded happily and started back towards the apartment. Along the way, she sent a small shot of love out towards her dearest. Moments later she began to giggle with contentment as his own feelings came streaming back. If there weren't others back on El-Hazard that she wanted to see once more, the former Demon God may have suggested that she and Makoto stay in this place. A world bereft of the scars of the ancient's war and a place that did not look upon her with unmasked terror.

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It was with a mighty growl that accompanied a great explosion of sand at the Tokyo 3 municipal golf course. "It shouldn't be so damn hard to get a ball out of a hole," roared a young woman vehemently.

"You know," offered Dr. Wyatt. "Your anger is most intriguing."

"This coming from the man who bent his club over his knee," drawled Asuka as she glared at ball who had dared to defy her.

A quick splash of red flashed across the man's face, "We both agreed the bloody wood deserved it. You seem to be quicker to anger though."

She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, "Oh, and I suppose you know why."

"Not one idea. It would be presumptuous of me to make such an idea so soon. Now I do believe that it is my shot." He moved into position and eyed his ball with the look of a man who was sure that if the world did not go as he pleased it would have serious consequences. "Though, it could be that your anger was a detriment in the last Angel battle."

Asuka glared at the man. "Liar! You said that you never read my file!"

Gordon looked up from the shot he was about to make. There was a hint of confusion to his features before a spark of recognition lit them. "Ah yes! I see. You feel that, based on my prior statements, I have somehow mislead you."

"Damn straight!"

"I am afraid you are mistaken Pilot Soryu. I did say that I never looked at your medical records, and I haven't yet. That does not mean that I refrained from evaluating your combat record vies-a-vie your last mission. It was, after all, the reason you were sent to me. I would have been lax in my duties had I done otherwise."

Asuka slumped, her previous fire having been gutted, "Oh." It was hard to feel righteous when he laid out his words so clearly and with such logic. Even she could see the sense of looking into the incident that preceded their meeting.

"Interesting," muttered the doctor. "You seem to actually be disappointed that you were unable to catch me in a lie."

"I suppose this is the moment that I tearfully break down and confess that I've always wished that people told me the truth but that they've disappointed me each time?" The sneer was so clear that a blind man could have seen it.

He shrugged and looked back at his ball. "Only if you really meant it, Pilot Sohryu. I was simply making an observation, you were the one that lent any weight to it."

The teen watched the foreigner hit his ball. Inside surprise was broiling alongside anger. At every turn Gordon Gordon acted in a manner she did not expect. She had dealt with mental health professionals before and they tended to act the same way. This guy though seemed to have read the book and then tossed it aside for one about cold reading or something. It was precisely that inability to pin the man down that so aggravated her. "You don't act like the others."

As he stood back to allow her shot, Dr. Wyatt chuckled. "Would you prefer it if we were in some darkened room and I ask you if you ever walked in on your father masturbating?"

Asuka shivered at the mental image, and in the process fouled up her put. "Hey! No mind games while I'm playing! And no."

"Good. I find such discussion dreadful. So let us finish this infernal game."

"And what about after?"

"I shall write my preliminary findings down and then read your files. I should warn you though, Miss Katsuragi has requested that I observe your actions in regards to your piloting. So expect to see me at the base quite often."

"Great." That pretty much wrapped the whole day up in a great big bow of suck. Out here, in the open, the guy was okay, but at NERV it would be a whole different situation. None of the other pilots would have their own head doctor following them around.

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It was rather late when the door opened to the Yotsuga home. Kazuki and Mitsuki stumbled into their apartment tired but happy with the night. Though, later on, when she grilled her friends on the event, Misato would be most displeased to learn that there was not a drop of alcohol to be had throughout the whole event.

"Thanks for inviting me Kazuki. I had fun." And boy had she. It had just been dinner and a movie but the whole experience seemed so much more. For a while, in her most secret of thoughts, she had dreamed of a night like the one they had. No Dee, no Yayoi, and certainly no Mitsuki Rara, just the two of them having fun together.

"Yeah, I had fun too." He was pretty sure that the question of who was the real Mitsuki had been finally answered. The whole night she had been warm, yet mischievous. She always seemed to have a smile when she looked at him and he could see that she wanted him on the jokes instead of being the butt of them.

As she looked at her love interest, Mitsuki made a decision. "_If Kazuki's going to go out on a limb for me, then I should do the same._" Maybe it was the fatigue lowering her inhibitions, but she moved closer to him so that they were just barely touching. "Kazuki. Want to do this again sometime soon," she purred.

To his surprise, Kazuki found his mouth rather dry all of a sudden. Right now, Mitsuki was quite a bit more female than she had seemed up till this point. And though he tried very hard not to, there were some seriously cold-shower worthy thoughts running through his mind. "U,um sure. Sounds great M,Mitsuki."

"Good. Now, let's get some sleep."

"Um, yeah. I'm going to get a shower first." Mentally he added, _"A cold one."_

Mitsuki smiled in a manner that made it quite clear that, not only did she know the type of shower that he was going to take, but why he needed one. "Okay Kazuki. I'm just going to head to bed. Good night."

When Kazuki finally slid into bed, sleep came slowly. That had been a side of Mitsuki that he hadn't expected to see. Intellectually he knew that she had to have a sensual component to her psychological makeup. The reality though was that it was something that he hadn't really considered it in any meaningful manner. Now, that was no longer an option. And to make matters worse for his self control, she was right next to him asleep. He could hear her soft breathing and feel her warmth. Yes, sleep came very slowly indeed.

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Misato also slipped into her bed with no small amount of trepidation. Each night seemed to bring on variations of the same dream. The memory of her dreams were amazingly stubborn. Just when she thought that she could view the world as she had for so long, a word or a sound would slide across her consciousness and suddenly it all came back in a flood. To make things worse, it had impacted how she had dealt with Shinji. The words were always at the tip of her tongue and several times she had to practically punch herself to keep from making a scene.

When she had come home from NERV, Misato had actually brewed up the strongest pot of coffee that she could. Beer, while so wonderful that the thought of that amber liquid could make her moan, would not help her now. It would just put her to sleep all the quicker. And she dare not fall asleep. The dreams would come again, she was sure of it. What she wasn't sure of was how many more of those wonderful fantasies she could endure before they completely consume her.

The problem, the real honest to god problem, was that, in the final analysis, she wasn't sure whether or not she would want to not live that life. In that world, she had a job that she loved, a man who loved her, and children that she would do anything for. Such things made the world at hand seem like some dreadful nightmare that she was forced to endure between moments in the "real" world.

No matter how much coffee she drank though, Morpheus was not one to give up. Eventually his siren's song coaxed the woman into bed. When sleep finally took her the last sound she made for the night was a happy sigh of, "Shinji."

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Several days later, the three EVA pilots stood inside the cavernous space that held NERV's CIC. On the screens, they could see various data points regarding the latest Angel they found. To even Rei's surprise, it was located within the heart of an active volcano. The possibilities of an attack from such a creature were staggering.

More daunting than the thought of an attack by such a thing was the news of orders to capture the embryonic Angel. While each of the pilots looked rather doubtful of the sanity of the plan, only Asuka was vocal about it. "What are you, stupid," she asked of Dr. Akagi, completely forgetting the presence of Gordon Gordon in the shadows.

In her heart of hearts, even Ritsuko doubted the merits of the plan. While she was perfectly willing to toe the company line, the faux blonde had to admit that the intelligence value of the exercise did not line up with the risk assessment. If the Angel was in the ocean, or in the middle of a plain, then she could see value in a capture. A volcano though, just taken by itself, was a veritable cornucopia of unknowns and dangers; hence the expedition that first discovered the Angel. There were so many unknowns, and as a scientist she didn't like x-factors when she could avoid them. Ritsuko trusted the EVAs, but there were enough parts along the chain that it made her antsy.

"The plan comes directly from the Commander," retorted the scientist testily. "If you have a problem with it, you can take it up with him." She may not like the plan, but she was not going to let some bitchy 14 year old whine and moan.

That shut Asuka up big time. With the Commander as her guardian, there was no way she was going to do anything to piss him off. Seeing the expectant look on the doctor's face, she shook her head in the negative and then stared at the readings.

Ritsuko did nothing to suppress her smirk. "Okay. Asuka, since Unit-02 is the only one able to handle the equipment, you are going to be the one performing the operation." She ignored the girl's happy squeal and continued on, "Shinji, you will be there as back up should something happen." When she looked at the final child the woman felt a lance of hatred, "Rei. You are to stay here since your EVA is still undergoing repairs and modifications."

"Understood." To follow orders was her sole purpose on this Earth. It was the closest that she ever got to fulfillment.

Dr. Akagi nodded absently as she examined her clipboard. "Good, good. Be ready to launch in an hour. Misato is making the final preparations."

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With a sigh, Shinji slid into the warm waters of the hot springs. Fueled by the volcano he had, a short while ago, gone skin diving in, the spring's heat was so much more relaxing than that in the entry plug. The last mission had been a close one, far too close for his liking. Another few seconds, just a few feet more, and not only would Asuka be dead, but so would he. Upon retrospect, the young man wasn't quite sure what had possessed him to dive into that hellhole. And he had no earthly idea how Unit-01 managed to survive without any of the safety features Unit-02 had been equipped with.

The waters though, convinced him that those were thoughts for later. Just as he was about to drift off into a well deserved slumber, Shinji heard the door to his section of the springs open. When he eyeballed the intruder, he was quite surprised. "Kazuki! What are you doing here?"

"Hey Shinji. Misato shipped me and Mitsuki up here to help celebrate your victory."

The young man's smile grew even wider at that piece of news, "That's great! We should get out and have something to eat or something."

Kazuki shook his head emphatically. "No way Shinji. I'm not leaving this place until Mitsuki is good and ready. You should have seen her on the way here. She was practically vibrating through her seat."

Suddenly, a very, very, irate Mitsuki appeared in the Ikari male's mind. Seeing that, he just slid back into the waters and tried not to move much, lest it see him.

"Yeah, that's my plan too."

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On the other side of the massive wall, Mitsuki submersed herself in the heated pool with an almost orgasmic moan. "Mmm, yes."

Peeking out from under the towel she had draped across her head, Misato smirked. "That's about what I said too."

For the longest time, the two women sat in silence and enjoyed the waters. Eventually, Mitsuki broke the silence. "So, are you going to tell me what's wrong with Shinji?"

Misato Katsuragi was a woman of many passions. In her life, she had taken many things to the extreme. She had been practically catatonic for years. During her time in college, Misato had screwed Kaji for nearly a solid week. And, she hated the Angels with such malice, that there were times she could almost scream. All of those states had come and gone with such speed that others might claim that they were the result of deep-seated emotional problems. Well now, she was definitely sure that she was having problems with her emotions and the center of the whirlwind was Shinji Ikari.

Shinji Ikari. When she had first heard the name he was just some kid the commander wanted her to pick up. After meeting him, something inside stirred and urged her to keep the young man close. Ritsuko had joked once that it was her maternal instincts at work. Misato had told herself that she was just lonely for some safe companionship. Now though, that name was evoking other feelings within her. When she thought of him, it was in newer and ever more interesting colors.

Before her eyes, Shinji was becoming more of a man every day. The quiet nature that he worked to keep all away was transforming into the kind of confidence that could make woman start to gravitate towards him. Living so close to the center, Misato was feeling the pull especially hard. It was beginning to get ever harder to not think about him What really scared her though, was how powerful the slowly brewing emotions were. With Kaji, she had known how she felt within moments of meeting him. Shinji though, it was as if he had planted a seed within her heart. It grew slowly, feeding on the smiles and tender looks they shared. And, before she even realized that there was something to feel, that seed had become a tree that seemed incapable of halting its growth.

Realizing its existence had created a whole host of other problems. Never mind the fact that they were living together. Or that she was his superior officer in an organization that was as cuddly as a rabid wolverine. And forget the real reality that they were fighting in a war against creatures that could wipe out all life on the planet. Excluding all that, and a great deal more, there was the simple, honest, undeniable truth that hung over the whole affair, she was technically old enough to be Shinji's mother. If anyone saw them together it wouldn't matter that they worked to save the world on a daily basis, all anyone would see is a dirty old woman molesting a child.

Could she live in a relationship like that? Did Shinji see her that way in the first place? Would he be able to handle the strain of such a relationship if he did? She had so many question that didn't have any answers. They plagued her, even as her mind turned to other things it seemed to come right back to churning on questions. Intellectually, Misato knew that she had to ask someone. The violet-haired woman even knew who it was she should ask. With Mitsuki right here the time was perfect. But cowardice stayed her tongue so she fell back on an age old ploy, Misato bluffed. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Mitsuki glared at her friend, "Don't give me that Misato. I've seen how you've been around him lately. When you're not staring at him, you're keeping your distance. Everyone's been noticing, even Shinji, I think."

That was rather disturbing news to the Operations Director. "Everyone?"

She nodded, "We're worried about you. Are you okay?" It was mean, Mitsuki knew, but she was sure that Misato needed to get this out in the open.

"Yes! I'm fine."

"Then what's wrong? Did Shinji do something to upset you?"

Misato bolted up, "No! No. Shinji . . . Shinji's fine. Its just. I don't know." She desperately looked to her friend, willing her to understand without having to say the words.

"I understand," said Mitsuki. "_She obviously can't handle it all yet,_" she thought sadly. Sometimes people couldn't admit things openly, at least not until something horrible happen.

"You do?"

"It took me a while to be able to admit things too."

The woman hadn't known that about her friend. "But things are different with me."

"Only by degrees. If we're talking about one of Shinji's friends, then yeah but he's been aging before our eyes. And, thanks to the Angels, he could die at any time. Still, he's not here yet."

That surprised Misato, "You've been watching him too?"

"Its hard not to. You two are almost a live soap opera."

She blushed at the knowledge that others were gaining amusement at her love life, such as it was. "Great," she grumbled. "What does the audience suggest?"

"You need time, but so does Shinji. So stop acting all nervous around him and start being the Misato we all know and have learned to fear."

"Fear eh," growled the violet-haired woman. "I'll show ya something to fear." With that, Misato scythed her arm through the water, causing a wave to crash over Mitsuki. She cackled at her friend's screech but her laughter soon turned to surprise as the other woman launched her own wave. So, for now, the war was on and the heavy thoughts of before were banished in favor of shrieks and giggles.

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Gordon Gordon, having recently finished his preliminary report, entered the office of Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki. "Good afternoon."

The former professor looked up from his paperwork and smiled at his guest. "Ah, Dr. Wyatt. What may I do for you."

"I have my early findings on Pilot Sohryu," said the mountainous man as he laid the file down on the older gentleman's desk.

Fuyutsuki took the folder and moved to a place where he could read it upon completion of the meeting. "Anything major that I should be aware of?"

"Yes," sighed the doctor. "It has to do with your man, a Mr. Kaji."

"What has he done now?" On multiple levels Fuyutsuki did not like the show-boating, perpetually scruffy, new member of their staff. He was unprofessional and rather untrustworthy. The latter was especially telling given the nature of most of NERV's staff.

"Oh nothing bad, I assure you. I just have some concerns vies-a-vie his dealings with Pilot Sohryu."

The older man had seen some of the interactions between the two and found them rather disturbing. To hear that this professional had worries made him listen all the closer. "How so?"

Gordon Gordon leaned forward and tapped on the file. "As I have noted, it is my belief that Pilot Sohryu's interactions with Mr. Kaji are not healthy for her. It was clear to me that Agent Kaji is not enthusiastic about her behavior, so I do not suspect any pedophilia, thankfully. However, I fear that Sohryu is focusing all of her attentions on him. In the long run this is unhealthy for her as it isolates the child from those of her own age bracket. For her own good, I suggest that Mr. Kaji stays away from her unless necessary."

Fuyutsuki nodded, that suited him just fine. And he was grateful to hear that there were no signs of anything un todo going on. "Anything else I should be made aware of?"

The doctor shook his head. "Nothing glaring. Though I wish to add that it was a stroke of genius on the part of the Commander to deny Pilot Sohryu from revealing that part of her to the general public. It should really aid her in fully developing her identity apart from her work here."

"Somehow I doubt that was his reasoning," chuckled the old man. "Thank you doctor. I look forward to further reports. And I'll make sure to talk to Kaji."

"Good, good," he said as he stood. "Now, if you don't mind me, I must be off. It seems I owe the golf course some money for a club."

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Makoto looked over his class with no small amount of pride. The idea of becoming a teacher on this foreign world had been daunting at first. Now, after some time in the position, the dimensionally challenged man was happy that he had taken the chance. His students were progressing marvelously, and he had already received several emails from grateful parents that their children were showing a greater interest in their studies. Even young Suzuhara, who appeared to be something of a jock, seemed to be improving, if only a little. The only one that seemed to not be coming along nicely was the newest student, none other than Asuka Langley Sohryu.

It was the first day that the class was back from their trip. While the others were filled with energy, Asuka seemed to be immune to it all. There was an anger about her, the source of which Makoto could not place. At the same time though, it was quite clear that she was bored out of her mind. To draw her into the conversation, he kept asking her questions. The answers, as usual for her, were always right. Yet they were always short, to the point, and carried with them a certain hint of malice that other teachers may have been turned off by. He had faced the wrath of Shayla-Shayla though, such things tend to render all other angers rather trivial.

So, undaunted by the anger of a child, Makoto kept on teaching. "Miss Sohryu! What is the answer to this question?"

Asuka glared at the board and computer created problem displayed there. If her gaze had been capable of it, the whole area would have erupted into flame long ago. "15 to the power of three," she spat, as if the answer was the most vile curse she could utter. By her count, that was the twelfth time he had asked her some stupid question or another. Already she had started the day in a huff; Shinji's last minute save in the volcano still grated against her ideals. Added to that was the fact that, for some reason, Kaji seemed to be avoiding her. It all equaled to a rather perturbed young woman.

She didn't listen to his false congratulations. Asuka just went to the absent minded boredom she had been halfheartedly enjoying beforehand. That all stopped when yet another question went her way. Finally, the last straw had been laid and the camel's back didn't so much as break as it exploded. "Oh come on! There are twenty other people here you can ask," she roared.

"And all of them have already taken their tests to tell me what they know and what they don't," replied Mr. Mizuhara. "You haven't yet, so I'm giving you the oral version." It was the truth. He hadn't managed to get around to administering the test to her. And the Q&A had been giving him a rather good baseline in its stead.

"Well then just give me the test! Why bother me with all these stupid questions."

He shrugged, "You looked bored. I prefer my students to get something out of my classes." With a wave of his arm, Makoto gestured to the rest of the room, "Your fellow students are all paying attention to their work, you aren't."

"That's because I've already done all this back home." It was true, she had already graduated college and, had the Angels not started attacking, she would probably be in the middle of a master's program right now. Of course, no one in the class knew that.

Makoto's eyes glinted dangerously, something that Asuka at the moment had totally missed. There was something in that last bit that rubbed him the wrong way. He had heard that tone before, issuing forth from the lips of those in the Royal Science Academy back on El-Hazard. In his experience, there was only one way to be rid of it, by crushing the one who uttered it. "Okay Miss Sohryu. Let's make a bet."

"What for."

"Tell me the solution to a problem of my choosing, and I will let you loaf around as much as you want." Then, to further bait the trap, he added, "I will even grant your station permission to access the network."

That was a deal that appealed to the red-head immensely. "Okay! But it has to be a real one."

"Oh it will be, I can promise you that. But, so everyone here knows the stakes, if you can't answer my question then you have to pay attention and be an active member of the class."

"Deal!" The thought of failure never even entered into Asuka's consideration. After all, he was just a school teacher, there was no way he could stump her.

With a keystroke Makoto cleared the screen of all the data that had been there. There was a twinge of regret about what he was going to do, but he pushed that aside in favor of wiping that smirk off the girls face. Still, it wasn't really fair the question he was outlining on the screen. It was one of the base formulas in dealing with the Eye of God. Just understanding it and others had taken the better part of a year. By now, the equations were so old hat to him that he didn't even need to look at what he was typing, instead he took the opportunity to watch the whole class stare on in an ever-increasing daze.

Even Asuka was not immune to the shock. The numbers and symbols just went on and on. What made things even worse was that she knew that he had won. There was just enough there for her to see that what Mr. Mizuhara was real, if so far beyond her that it was ridiculous. "_How the hell can he know this stuff_," she shrieked mentally.

It took about five minutes to write everything out, but when he made the last keystroke Makoto looked Asuka dead in the eye. "Okay Miss Sohryu. Please solve that."

"Are you kidding me?! No one can solve that."

Makoto shook his head. "I'm afraid that you're wrong there." He decided to make this a lesson to those in his class as well as something that could hammer Asuka down. For nearly an hour he went through the problem and explained things in as great of detail as he could. When even Asuka paid attention, he knew that he had something. The brown-haired man finally knew where he needed to push the girl to get her to enjoy herself.

For her part, Asuka found herself actually enjoying the experience. This was a whole new field that she had never even considered. Her ego though was smarting from the beat down it had received via her teacher. Like Gordon Gordon, she wasn't sure whether or not to hate or befriend this man.

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Author's Notes: And here it is, another exciting chapter. For the longest time, this was going to a much longer chapter. I was going to write in both the 8th and the 9th Angels as both of them really aren't that important in the grand EVA-verse. In many ways, they seem like some of the dumbest Angels in the show. That is reflected in my total lack of writing in regards to the 8th. I mean really, did anyone at Gainax actually think about that one? There is so much science that breaks down in that episode that its jarring. Given the pressures, Asuka and Shinji could not have ascended with any speed, because they both would have gotten the bends, if not exploded do to the rapid changes. The same thing with the Angel. And given how slow they would have had to go up, one would think that Unit-01 would have melted. Heck, it should have melted even within the flimsy science of Evangelion. Instead though, they fell back on, "A wizard did it."

This chapter also allows me to further the work on Asuka, something that always eats up my time. With her though, I was able to bring in her shrink. Bones fans will hopefully notice Gordon Gordon. I always love his episodes, so when I was thinking of someone to be her doctor he quickly came to mind. He is also someone that, I feel, wouldn't let Asuka get away with her usual crap.

Now some of you may be wondering why I am putting Misato and Shinji together but keeping Asuka and Kaji apart. For starters, I don't like Kaji, but I don't like Asuka either. In a relationship though, Misato and Shinji both bring things to the table that the other needs. Meanwhile, for Asuka, Kaji is a force that, I feel, is stunting her emotional growth.

Well that's about it, so I hope you all have enjoyed this later chapter.

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


	8. Fire and Ice

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 7 - Fire and Ice (because every EVA story has to have one)

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It was a few days after his return from the hot springs when Kazuki finally got around to bringing Ifurita to the warehouse where they stored Zinv. Not that she really minded the delay. Patience was a virtue that the former Demon God had honed to a fine edge over the ten thousand years she had waited for her beloved's return. Still as she neared the place, Ifurita felt a trill of suspense. Zinv was powerful, perhaps more so than even the Eye of God. Such things gave even her pause.

"So, it was found buried beneath Tokyo," she asked conversationally.

"Yeah he was," answered Kazuki after a quick scan of the surroundings.

The use of a more person based pronoun did not go unnoticed by Ifurita. "Interesting. Have you ever tried to disassemble portions to gain a greater understanding of him?"

He looked at her with same kind of expression one may have if it were suggested that a family member be dissected. "No! Never. Not even Uncle Sanada tried, though I'm sure that he thought about it. Besides, Zinv doesn't want that."

She couldn't fault the titan for that. After all, she wouldn't want some scientists taking her apart either. "How far does the connection between you and Zinv extend?"

Kazuki shrugged. "I don't really know. I didn't know it at the time, but it was still going even after he was supposedly destroyed. Uncle Sanada once suggested that now that we're together, neither of us can die unless the other one does too."

Every implication of that statement was not lost on the woman. "Ah, I see."

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Several minutes later, Ifurita stepped into the warehouse. Upon seeing Zinv in action, most people tended to imagine it upon some golden throne when not slaughtering en masse. Such notions were not barred from Ifurita either, and when she saw it laying unceremoniously upon the concrete floor she was most surprised. Even more surprising was the power in the room. The ancient machines of El-Hazard, even herself, lacked any sort of aura when they were switched off. With Zinv though, the pale woman could feel it all around her; testing, questioning, and ultimately weighing. Quite frankly, he scared her. Hopefully Kazuki was right, and Zinv could only really awaken when he was there to pilot the massive being.

"Don't worry," intruded Kazuki's voice, "he's not going to do anything."

"Oh?"

"I think he likes you," he replied. Of course, Kazuki didn't add, "_As much as he likes anyone._" The last thing anyone needed to know was that Zinv was, at any given moment, not the most accommodating of souls. "_Probably comes from being caged up for who knows how long,_" he thought. A pseudo grumble through their link was the young man's answer.

The part of her that so yearned for the acceptance of others beamed at this. "I look forward to learning more about you as well, Zinv." If Kazuki _and_ Mitsuki thought of this behemoth as a thinking being, then Ifurita would do the same. "Would you mind if I touch you?"

"Go ahead," answered Kazuki for Zinv.

Ifurita walked up to the gray skinned juggernaut without an ounce of concern. As far as she was concerned, she was safe here. Any fears that Zinv would react poorly to her presence were gone now, dispelled by Kazuki's kindly smile. When she laid her palm upon him though, the pale-haired woman realized that fear may have been preferable.

The instant the two touched, a brilliant flare of light erupted from them both. It filled the space, blinding all. Kazuki threw up his hands to shield himself from the light lest his retinas burst into flames. His eyes adjusted a little to the blinding light and he was just able to make out Ifurita's silhouette. Her whole body was shaking in what Yotsuga could only assume was agony. Still shielding himself, Kazuki ran at the woman and pulled her away from Zinv with all the force he could muster.

As soon as the two were separated, the blinding light vanished. Even still, it took several minutes for Kazuki's eyes to get to a point where he could actually see anything but giant purple spots. That did not stop him from desperately searching for his fallen friend. He called and called out her name but there was no response. When his frantic fumbling finally managed to find her, Kazuki was most distressed to find no motion on her part.

Though the return of his sight was a welcome thing, it did nothing to assuage his worries. Ifurita's eyes stared straight up. There was nary a blink or twitch to signal that she was still among the living. With a normal human, Kazuki knew what things to check for to prove life. Unfortunately, Ifurita was not a normal human and he had not a clue as to how to ascertain her wellness. Thankfully, before Kazuki could work himself into a total meltdown, Ifurita's form lost its stiffness and she blinked.

"Are you okay?"

She blinked once again. "Okay?" Her internal processors were running at full speed in diagnostics mode. Her core functions were already scanned and her higher logic centers had been deemed stable. A few seconds later her motor control was returned and she sat up. While this was all occurring in the background, Ifurita was running over all the information gathered during her encounter with Zinv. It was confusing. Data flowed across her internal screens but not one bit of it made any real sense. There was one thing she was sure of, such an encounter was to be avoided in the future. The first thing she said had simply been her processors aping what they had heard, now though her mental faculties were up to the point where she could actually converse. "I appear to be fine Kazuki. Thanks to you."

"Can you stand?"

"I,I believe so." With a slight bit of difficulty, she managed to stand. She swayed as her systems worked to get everything back in order. The powerful woman might have fallen if it was not for Kazuki steadying her. "Thanks again."

"You're welcome. I just wish I knew what happened," he said worriedly.

"As do I. Hopefully, I should have some answers by the time we get back to the apartments."

"Yeah, we should probably get back." Though he wasn't going to say it, Kazuki wanted Ifurita as far away from Zinv as possible. In the back of his mind he could feel Zinv look upon her with not anger, as was his usual response, but with a terrifying mix of confusion, apprehension, and fear. And anything that engendered those feelings in his partner was something Kazuki would pay attention to.

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By the time everyone had gathered at the table that evening they had all be brought up to speed as to the goings on at the warehouse. Everyone sat in silence as they ate Mitsuki's typically amazing meal. Tension practically dripped out of the air as each person contemplated any ramifications of the events. When the final bite was consumed, Ifurita's staff flew over and hovered at the end of the table; its blue globes glowed softly, telling all that no one would be listening in on the conversation.

"Zinv and myself must not be allowed to come into contact."

"Well we kinda figured that," drawled Mitsuki, "but why?"

"We began to merge."

Makoto felt his heart stop. "Merge," he gasped out.

Though she had been operating in a more mission mode of thought, Ifurita reached out and took her beloved's hand. Thanks to the link, she could feel his fear. "Indeed. I do not know the specifics of the process, but I believe I know the cause." She could feel the eyes of the room upon her, "When we touched, I was able to see Zinv's history. After a certain point his history and my own became one in the same."

"Could that be a result of the merging," asked Mitsuki.

The woman with the pale blue hair shook her head, "No. I believe that the world that Zinv was made on was, in actuality, a parallel El-Hazard."

Makoto, the only other expert on El-Hazard, gasped. "But how's that possible? There was nothing like Zinv on El-Hazard."

"You're right Makoto," smiled the woman. "The split between our two dimensions occurred before my creation. You all must understand, my line was not the first Demon God to be made. There were others, less advanced models. At the point of separation though, technology could have gone two ways. My files say that, on my world, instead of opting for the concepts that would have lead to Zinv, the Ancients decided to go with the smaller Demon God plan. This led to two different dimensions, yet the war raged in both. Zinv was the ultimate weapon on his world, just as the Eye of God was on mine."

Everyone was stunned at the implications of the news, especially Kazuki and Mitsuki. So much of Zinv's past was a mystery to them. With the merging of worlds, a great deal of Dee's memories of her past life had been lost, and with them all the information of her ancient home. Now they had a name for it, El-Hazard.

Mitsuki was the first to break the silence. "Ifurita. What would happen if the merging went all the way?"

"I can not say. Zinv has practically infinite power, whereas I possess nearly infinite adaptability. There is no telling what those traits would create if they were combined."

"It sounds almost like God," muttered Makoto.

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As she sat at the dinner table, Misato watched Shinji perform his culinary art. The last few days had been filled with thoughts for the woman. For the most part, those thoughts centered around the young man and the conversation she had with Mitsuki. She had tried as best she could to act normal around him, but with her mind still addled, it wasn't the easiest thing in the world.

Mitsuki had told her to wait, that both she and Shinji needed time. Time to sort things out, and time to grow into the world that awaited. And that was the crux of Misato's current predicament. Patience had never really been her strong suit. Back during her training, she never received high marks on her sniper tests. She could hit the target just fine, what always got her points docked was the waiting around in one place, very still, for a long time.

This felt like those times, sitting out in the woods with twigs and other ground clutter adhered to her body. For a while now she had been watching her target. Watching him live his life and interact with others. And while the process was more than enjoyable, the waiting was killing her by degrees. Misato was caught now, she could feel herself being pulled by the current towards a blazing star of emotion. Only one thing kept her from drowning in it all. A simple comment from Mitsuki allowed the violet-haired woman to believe that Shinji was also being pulled along, he just didn't know it yet.

000000000

Shinji had long since past the point of worry and was rapidly approaching concern. The source of that concern was none other than Misato. His roommate and friend was working up to week two of a highly unusual, for her, funk. Even he noticed the nervous glances she would cast his way when she thought he couldn't see them. And when he wasn't looking at her, Shinji could feel Misato's eyes following him.

After he had gotten Unit-01 out of the volcano, she had been waiting for him at changing room. At first, given how she was shaking, Shinji was sure that Misato was going to give him another dressing down like after his second battle. Instead, she hugged him and then commended him on his quick thinking. Subsequent review of the moment suggested to the young man that there had been some moisture in her eyes, though he couldn't be sure. She had been a tad bit more normal since then, but still there was something there. It was like she was watching him for something. Whatever his violet-haired friend was waiting for, Shinji had decided to let her have her peace.

Still, that did not stop him from saying anything. As he sat down at the table, Shinji looked at the woman who had so kindly taken him in. "Misato . . .i,if there's anything wrong. Y,you know you can tell me. Right?"

He was rewarded by a big smile from her, "Thanks Shinji. I just got some stuff on my mind. But I'll tell you when I work it out."

There was something in the way she said that that convinced Shinji that Misato was telling the truth and he eagerly looked forward to that day.

000000000

With a sigh, Mitsuki placed a new price sticker upon a piece of merchandise. "_This job looked a lot better when I needed parts for a communications relay_," she thought with a huff. These days, work at the Radiomart was getting rather boring. Very few customers came in any more and prices kept having to be changed as her boss struggled to keep in business.

As she went about her tasks, Mitsuki kept going back to the discussion of last night. "_To think, the Ancient's war destroyed their world twice over. I wonder why it got started_." After her own little war against the Rara army, the dimensionally displaced young woman had taken an interest in the whys of war. It amazed her how one's just cause was another's unwarranted assault.

Mitsuki was pulled from her musings by the annoying jingle of the store's door opening. She turned to give the standard greeting to all customers but stopped when she saw who it was. "Dr. Akagi! How are you today?"

The bottle-blond smiled, "Just fine. And please, call me Ritsuko. How are you Mitsuki?"

"Oh you know, a job's a job."

Ritsuko nodded, she too had worked some less than stellar jobs in her past. "Well, I have an offer that may be a tad more interesting."

Now that she was pretty sure as to the nature of her dimensionally gifted power, Mitsuki listened closely. "Oh? And what might that be?"

"Mitsuki, some of the stuff you and I talked about has never been theorized. As you know, we are in a war against the Angels. I think you could be a valuable asset in that war."

Mitsuki had an idea where this was going. "Are you asking me to join NERV?"

The older woman nodded. "Yes. You'd be making more money than you are here and you'd be in a position to really do something with your skills."

She made a show of thinking about the proposition for a few moments, just to heighten the woman's obvious tension. Really though, there was not thought necessary. So far her power had done a fairly good job in putting her into beneficial situations, and it looked like that trend was continuing. "_This could help us get some more information into what is going on around here_." Ifurita had been trying hard to get a foot hold into the local computer networks, but so far it efforts had not turned up much. "I'll take it."

000000000

Once again, Shinji was in the apartment shared by Ifurita and Makoto. As was becoming a tradition, he was there to watch several episodes of Babylon 5 with the blue-haired woman. After that first episode several weeks ago, she had been hooked on the show and he had taken great joy in sharing it with her. Currently, his time was being spent in the kitchen preparing some snacks for the two of them. They were taking a break so Ifurita could go back to Shinji's place to get a few more discs of the show. Since Shinji was the better cook, he had stayed behind to prepare the menu.

Now, for every person there is something that can trigger abnormal displays of speed, dexterity, and anything else that a RPG may have as a stat. One of those triggers for Shinji was a particular song that started playing on the television. It was the theme from the fifth season of Babylon 5. Seeing as he had personally taken the disc out of the machine, it meant that this was actually being aired. With a burst of speed that would have surprised those who knew him, he dashed out of the kitchen and vaulted over the couch to land right before the screen.

To his surprise, it was not an episode that some station had decided to air to fill out some empty time. It was actually a commercial for the showing of the B5 film, In the Beginning, at the local movie theater. He was in the middle of a full blown geek attack when Ifurita returned with the discs.

Not knowing what was wrong with her friend, the former Demon God rushed over to him, "Shinji! Are you well?"

"Wha," he squeaked with a jump. When he saw who it was, Shinji retained enough of his high to smile wide and nod quickly. "Yeah! I just saw a commercial for one of the B5 movies. Its going to be at the theater in a week, want to go with me to see it?"

Ifurita had gotten rather fond of the young man, and the show that he had introduced to her. It pleased her greatly to be able to share in the interests of others, it made her feel more human. "That would be agreeable."

Shinji's face lit up even brighter. "Great. Now, let's get back to those episodes."

000000000

By the time three o'clock rolled around, Mitsuki was firmly positioned in her new office within the main NERV building. Already she was questioning the wisdom of her decision to take the job. There was something in the place, something wrong. She could feel it all around her, watching, waiting. Still, Mitsuki had a hard time disagreeing with her paycheck. The number of zeros would come in quite handy on this world.

Even though it was less than five hours old, her position already had several projects assigned to it. In some ways, she was a roaming consultant; advising on several different operations throughout the complex. A few ideas were floating though her mind as to how the entry plugs and some other portions of the EVA's symmetry could be modified or improved. The real focus of her work was the applications of the equations she had supplied Ritsuko.

There was some promising lines of approach and all the preliminary data showed that modified versions of her father's equipment could be inserted into the local defense systems. Of course, she wouldn't give them the technology to actually travel to parallel worlds. Such technology was tightly held even in her home dimension, there was no way these people would get their hands on it.

Despite the odious feelings that practically oozed from every surface, Mitsuki felt invigorated. Here, on another world, her father's work would be appreciated. Even with the dimensions merging back home, Ken Sanada hadn't receive the accolades that Mitsuki felt were due to him. So she was happy to know that others would be benefiting from the ideas her father had worked so hard to develop. "_Just you wait Daddy, everyone is going to be thanking you. Even if they don't know it._"

As she was leaving her office, Mitsuki noticed a certain friend of her's walk by. "Hi Misato!"

Said woman spun around to determine the source of the call. "_That sounded like Mitsuki_," she thought with astonishment. When she saw that it was indeed her friend, Misato looked positively astonished. "Mitsuki? What the hell are you doing here?"

Mitsuki smirked. "I work here. I'm in R&D."

"You're the wonder woman Ritsuko's been goin' on about?" Misato didn't know if it was a good thing that Mitsuki was working at NERV, or if she should warn the younger woman off. While it was true that they needed all the help they could get, there was something about this place that good, decent, people shouldn't be exposed to.

"I don't know about Wonder Woman," chuckled the younger female. "The outfit really doesn't suit me." She wasn't going to mention some of the outfits that Ayuko had forced her to wear. Those things could put some comic characters to shame. "_How that woman is related to me I'll never know._"

Misato looked at her friend and tried to imagine her in the American character's outfit. "Hmm, you're right. You probably need a foot an a half. But you're a solid Batgirl."

The younger woman didn't miss the small slight her friend shot her way. "Well we all can't be a She-Hulk like you," she grinned.

"True," giggled Misato. "Say, you leaving?"

"Yeah, Ritsuko brought me in for some introductions. She said the hard stuff will start tomorrow."

"I don't doubt it," groaned the older woman. "There are times I think she's powered by coffee." Images of her friend after three days of no sleep flashed through her head. "You've got my pity. Come on, I was heading out myself."

Mitsuki smiled and hefted her purse, "Sounds great."

000000000

Since Makoto took the reigns of the class Shinji had always found the time to fly by. His older friend seemed to have a knack to make things fun for his students, while pressing their brains to nearly the limit. They were all so engaged that the passage of time became something to be lamented, rather than embraced. Today though, the clock could not move fast enough. On multiple occasions throughout the day the young Ikari would look to the chronograph and mentally curse it for not moving faster. There were times when he was sure that the blasted thing was even working in reverse.

Now one should not mistake his impatience for boredom. No, today was the day. As soon as the bell sounded its chimes, Shinji would leave this place and make his way to the theater. There, he and Ifurita could watch their movie. To be honest, he had seen it a million times by now. All those were on the television though. Here was a chance to see Babylon 5 as it deserved, up on the big screen. Finally he would be able to feel the power of the blasts. The melancholy song of the Earth-Minbari war would flow around him as Mollari's voice narrated the heroism of mankind.

Most importantly though, he would get to share the experience with a dear friend. It was strange, the way he felt about Mitsuki and the others. With Toji and Kensuke there was always a line. Both were so consumed by their own lives that, in many ways, they were only tangentially concerned with his life. The others though, immediately they had reacted to him in a way he had never encountered. In a way, it seemed as if the world around them was only a temporary stop and that they had only stayed to help the bereaved people they had found. Of course, such thoughts were nonsense, but still he marveled at the circumstances that must of conspired to blossom a set of people such as they.

Between questions, Makoto surveyed his class. Today, his person of interest was Shinji. The boy was fidgeting and seemed to have a hard time keeping his focus. Unlike Asuka, whom he was still trying to figure out, Makoto knew what was bothering Shinji. There was something special he and Ifurita had planned. To be honest, the regular person behind his teacher's mask just wanted the day to end. Between the boy's obvious desire to leave and those same feelings being broadcast over his link with his love, Makoto was a ball of nerves himself. As the day wore on it was becoming increasingly harder to concentrate on the work and more than once he had flubbed a question.

After their own experimentation with Einstein's theories regarding time, the class let out a triumphant cry when the bell rang. For a moment, Makoto was tempted to engage in some last minute assignments, but seeing as the class was so amped up, he doubted that anyone would hear a thing. So, with a sigh, he let the little minds run off and prayed that tomorrow would be less stressful. "Have a nice day," he yelled at the massive tide of backs. To his satisfaction, a few of those backs turned to repay the farewell.

000000000

Through some weird group dynamics, Shinji ended up leaving the school right beside Asuka and Rei. The three walked in silence right up to the school gates, when the lone male of the group turned to the side.

Seeing the boy's change of direction, Asuka asked, "Where are you going."

"Oh, I'm going to see a movie with Ifurita," replied Shinji over his shoulder.

"Ifurita eh," said Asuka cattily. "She your girlfriend or something?"

"I believe that she is coupled with Mr. Mizuhara," replied Rei.

Meanwhile, Shinji looked at the red-head with disgust. "Ugg! No way! She's like . . . my sister."

"She work at NERV at something?" That the woman could have worked somewhere other than NERV didn't really deserve any serious consideration from the red-head.

Shinji shook his head, "No, she lives in my building though."

"What film are you going to see Ikari?" Had it been anyone else, Rei would not have cared in the slightest. It was Shinji though, and for some reason all of her standard patterns of thought seemed to be lacking something when it came to him.

The young man perked up, "Its one of the Babylon 5 movies. They're showing it at the theater."

Asuka snorted, "Probably some stupid geek show."

He bristled at that, "Hey now, B5 isn't stupid!"

"Well you didn't refute the geek part, so I am definitely not interested."

"We have a test today Ikari"

"Oh, I got permission to do that another day."

"Of course Misato's favorite can get anything he wants," sneered the red-head.

If Rei was capable of it, she would have felt a extreme sense of disappointment with Shinji's statement. She had no desire to spend any time alone in the company of Pilot Sohryu. "I see," she said before walking off. The conversation was, in her mind, done.

Shinji checked his watch, "I need to get going too. Later Asuka."

As her fellow pilot ran off, Asuka growled and followed Rei. Up until then her day had been pretty okay. After hearing of the blatant favoritism in regards to Shinji, Asuka was quite upset. "Slowdown," she yelled after the oddly pale girl.

000000000

It was with a slight bounce to her step that Misato strolled along towards the elevator. Though a part of her really didn't want Mitsuki anywhere near the soul crushing world that was NERV, there was something to be said about having the younger woman around. It was nice to have someone that she could pal around with while at work. Ritsuko was game for lunch sometimes, but the woman was always half there. And more and more there was this look in her friend's eyes, as if the scientist was haunted by some hidden demons.

Mitsuki though, was a blast. While working, she was totally committed to the project; something to be commended. But, when work was over, the younger woman had no problem with just hanging out. Plus, she gave Misato a reason to look forward to her break other than just getting away from paper work.

Another reason to have Mitsuki around was the woman's reaction to Kaji. At first, Misato had been afraid that her friend would fall to his wiles like so many other women had; like she had. To her eternal joy though, instead of submitting Mitsuki it appeared as if she saw through all his bull and even called him on it. While it wasn't enough to make all the women at NERV stop liking him, those who had been sitting on the fence hopped off on the side furthest from that unshaven louse.

In spite of the satisfaction she gained from Kaji suffering, Misato suddenly had a feeling that she really shouldn't have been enjoying it so much. For as she turned around within the elevator she saw the bane of her existence running towards her. Surely it was the god's way of punishing her. Desperately she pounded on the button to close the doors. And, just as she was about to breath a sigh of relief, the idiot's hand appeared in the narrow gap between the doors.

"Whew," gasped Kaji as he slid into the small space, "almost missed it. Why didn't you hold it for me?"

"Must have hit the wrong button," growled Misato. There was a time, long ago, when a situation like this would have been all the pretense she needed to jump him. Now, just being in the same space made her skin crawl.

While Kaji heard the words, he knew that Misato's tone was what he should listen to. What he did pushed him to work the charm. "Oh come on Misato, don't be like that. We used to have so much fun, you and I."

"_God he is so infuriating_," she mentally roared. Over the years since college, Misato had worked hard to separate herself from those days. She didn't want to be that girl that fucked Kaji for a week, or the wild child who could out drink the football team. Sure, she still drank and she still loved a party. Those things though were supplements to her personality. The Misato Katsuragi she tried so hard to be was a woman who was a decorated officer, a brilliant tactician, a life-long friend, and a loving guardian. Kaji though, just by his being there, brought back that older Misato, the one she had tried so hard to kill. Even on the Over the Rainbow, Kaji had tried to put her back in that box.

Just as Misato was about to rip into him like a rabid wolverine, the elevator came to a stop and all the lights went out. As the emergency lighting came up Kaji sighed, "That Mitsuki girl probably did something."

Misato bristled at the comment. She didn't like it when people sniped at her friends, especially when she knew that there was no way that said friend had anything to do with it. "Hey now! Mitsuki's not working on anything that is remotely connected to the power. She's just running some data through the MAGI today. Besides, the back-up power should be on in a minute, unless yer too much of a baby to stand in a stopped elevator for a few extra minutes."

Though he did not let it show, Kaji felt stung at the way Misato was acting. In the past he could always work her, for some reason though all his moves seemed to be backfiring. Still, he was nothing if not persistent, and the unshaven man moved back to his favorite topic. "Oh I don't know Misato. There's something about this light that really suits you."

"Well don't get used to seeing me like this buster. The back ups should come up any minute and then I can be out of this thing."

000000000

"Hey! Wondergirl wait up!"

Though she did not deviate from her speed, Rei briefly contemplated such an action. "_Why does Pilot Sohryu engender such feelings in me?_" It was something that was happening more and more as time passed, others creating emotions within her. Shinji was the first to make her feel anything other than normal. Yes the Commander had made her feel something, but it was always the same. With Shinji she was never sure were those feelings would take her. The not knowing was something that drew her to her fellow pilot.

Unfortunately, others seemed to have reactions upon her as well; especially Pilot Sohryu. Whereas Shinji's intrusion into her mental stability was a welcome one, Asuka's most certainly was not. She could not adequately explain what she felt about the young woman, but Rei knew enough to know it was not pleasant.

As Asuka closed in on the odd girl, she slowed her pace to match that of her fellow pilot. Though she was rather irate that she didn't wait for her like a proper person should, the red-head held a great deal more anger for a certain boy. "Looks like The Invincible Shinji is getting preferential treatment again."

"I do not believe that Ikari has ever received such treatment before."

"Yeah right! I bet he's just wallowing in misery," she drawled. She began to tick off points with her fingers. "He's always the one to beat the Angels. He's got the highest sync ratio. All the kids at school love him. Plus, every time he get's the slightest bit hurt Misato goes all Mommy on him. If that isn't pampered I don't know what is."

For a moment, Rei seriously contemplated rebutting the obviously deluded girl's points. Normally, she would just walk in silence, but there was something about the insults to Shinji that irritated her. They grated upon her just as the boys words in regards to the Commander had. Luckily, they came up to the main gate to the central NERV access corridor. She could busy herself with the corridors of the base and possibly loose her annoying company.

Asuka took the silence as proof that her words were true. Just as she was about to launch into a long speech on how totally wonderful she was, the red-head noticed that Rei was having trouble with the card scanner. "What's wrong."

"There seems to be no power to the scanner."

She grabbed the card out of the unresisting girl's fingers. "Here you're obviously doing it wrong."

Rei allowed the girl to pursue her obviously fruitless course of action. The distraction gave her the time she needed to begin walking towards one of the nearby secondary entrances. "_Strange. There is no reason the locks should not have had power_." Any further thought on that mystery were derailed by Pilot's Sohryu's continued presence.

"Hey, you stay with me Wondergirl."

The albino girl did not respond, though, to her surprise, she felt her eyes roll involuntarily. Had this been any other time, Rei might have dedicated some serious thought to the whys of that action. Right now though, her first priority was to enter the base. This mission was furthered stymied by all the emergency doors. For some reason, they were as electrically dead as the mains. Such an event, to her knowledge, was completely impossible. The emergency systems were purposefully on a separate power network than the mains. Even if something could incapacitate the triple redundant systems on the main distribution lines, the emergency network was completely isolated. To achieve a failure in both meant that NERV's enemy was not a simple accident, the hand of man was involved. A quick check of the on-site emergency phone lent additional weight to that supposition.

Even as Rei was following procedure and opening her emergency packet, Asuka was beating the door closest to her. "Scheisse! What's wrong with these things? Did somebody forget to pay the verdammt power bill?" She unleashed some additional outrage upon the door's surface before turning to her companion. When she saw that Rei was rifling through her satchel Asuka blushed with embarrassment. In her rage she had completely forgotten about the emergency orders.

Before Asuka could find anything though Rei stood. "We must find another route into the base."

Given the opportunity for leadership, Asuka immediately seized it. "Right! Time to nominate a leader of this group and I vote for me! No objections? Right! Let's go!"

While the insane girl bothered herself with the petty false hierarchical nature of a theoretical group, Rei looked the opposite direction. "We can go down Route-07 over there."

For a moment, she seriously considered throwing a punch towards the pale freak but that moment quickly passed when she saw that Rei had started walking away. "Fine! We'll go that way! Now wait up Wondergirl."

000000000

Running through the labyrinthine streets of Tokyo 3, the heir to the Ikari name felt a bit of the old Shinji depression coming back. He had not noticed that the power had gone out for some time; he had been too busy was he in his own little dream world. When he had finally noticed that everything was out, Shinji followed the procedures that Misato had so thoroughly engrained into his brain. A quick check of the cell phone proved to be fruitless as there was not a single bar of signal. Next came the emergency packet. If everything in the city was out sop said that something major must have happened.

In the packet, he found instructions pointing him to find the nearest NERV emergency access shaft. Luckily, whomever had designed the thing had been smart enough to include a small map of the city with the shaft's locations clearly marked. Several precious minutes later, he managed to find the nearest point. Unfortunately, the emergency power, which would have normally allowed him entrance, was not operational. Meaning that he was completely isolated from the rest of NERV

"I've got to get to Unit-01," he mumbled. With the power out across the city, there was no monitor stations up, no defense systems at the ready, and no Evangelions to go out to fight. If an Angel attacked right now it would be absolutely disastrous. Given Tokyo 3's luck, or lack thereof, it was almost a certainty that an Angel was on its way. So getting to his EVA was paramount.

As far as he knew, there was only one other way into the complex and that was the main entrance. "Hopefully the doors are open," said Shinji as he started walking. Before he made three steps though, the young man realized a rather big hole in his plan. "_Where the heck am I,_" this bit he thought, as he didn't even want the air around him to know of his predicament. From home or school, Shinji could navigate his way to NERV blindfolded if need be; Misato and experience had taught him that skill. There were a few other spots in the city that he could chart a course from as well. Unfortunately, this section was one that he almost never went to; and his map only marked the emergency entrances. The thought of getting to NERV from here had never even crossed his mind. Now, he wished that he had been blessed with a tad bit more foresight. One fact kept the teenager from falling into a deep depression though, he knew that NERV was generally in the direction to his right. So, putting one foot in front of the other, Shinji began walking towards what he thought was the correct way to go.

000000000

Unlike Shinji, Ifurita noticed the power outage immediately. Though she had walked the streets to the theater happily, the sudden loss of all EM activity around her screamed to the Demon God's senses. Knowing what she knew of the city's infrastructure, such an outage was impossible as a result of just a random failure. It had to be the deliberate act of some unknown agency. Such actions generally heralded an invasion.

With a thought, the former Demon God rocketed into the air. As the wind rushed past her, her clothes shimmered and were replaced by the battle garb befitting her position. In the immediate vicinity, she could detect no threats, but her senses were limited without her power key staff. Not wasting thought of alternatives, she rocketed towards her home.

"_Makoto, are you okay,_" she sent.

"_I'm fine. I just got back. The lights have gone out here though._"

"_They have been extinguished across the city. Something is coming. Please inform Kazuki, we may need Zinv._" Though she could dispatch any terrestrial opponent who would dare cross her, Ifurita knew that having someone like Zinv there would be a potent aid should things go wrong.

Makoto's spike of fear was unmistakable, "_Okay. I told him_."

"_Good, please bring my staff outside, I will need it_."

The flight to the apartment did not take long, and within moments she saw her love opening the rear of their home. With a mighty heave, Makoto tossed the staff up into the air. He could not send it far, but it was enough for her to catch it. Immediately its power flowed into her, and her senses expanded.

"_Go that way_," sent Makoto as he astrally indicated a direction, "_Kazuki said that an Angel is heading for us_."

Without thought, she turned and began flying in the direction indicated. "_Thank you. And please keep safe dearest._"

"_You too_."

"_I will_."

000000000

If asked, Misato would probably rank her current experience right under living through the Second Impact on the list of things she was least likely to want to repeat. Not only was the elevator getting rather hot, Kaji, the perpetual horn-dog, just wouldn't let up. While the former was something that was bearable, being inside a rampaging nuclear reactor does wonders to one's evaluation of relative temperature, the later was really making her want to scream.

"You know," offered Kaji, "if you're hot you can take off your coat."

The way the words crossed across her nerves sent shivers of pleasure throughout Misato's body. At the same time, she felt a massive spike of anger lance through her mind. "_Damnit! He can always hit my buttons_." While physically it made her feel so good to be so wanted, in her heart and soul she wanted to throw up. In a way, the woman knew that he was trying to be smooth and to treat her by what he thought was 'right'. Unfortunately, any encounter with _him_ always left _her_ feeling like a whore. To be honest, at that moment, she was really and truly feeling like the life was being sucked from her.

Inside she wailed with despair, "_There's got to be a way out of this!_" Misato knew the path this journey would take, where it would eventually lead her. And, like Ebeneezer before her, the Captain begged for another way. In that moment, when all seemed lost, a way appeared before her. There was another man in her life. One so diametrically different to the one before her it was like night versus day. Shinji. Even if she could never have him as her soul pleaded, he was still there. With him she had already made a home. To her mind, Shinji was as a god, and when God was in his heaven all was most certainly right with the world. Sure, if mankind survived this most recent of conflicts, her story would probably be relegated to that of Mary Magdalene, but a repented prostitute was infinitely better to Misato than a perpetual whore.

Turning a glare at the tempter, Misato forcefully zipped up her jacket. It was a sign that he was forever barred from her treasures, that no longer would she let him make her feel so used. "I'll chance the heat stroke."

000000000

As Asuka tried, and failed, to direct Rei down a certain corridor in the labyrinthine underbelly of NERV, she growled, "Would it kill you to listen to me for once?" The whole time they've down here the girl had just refused to listen. For once, Asuka actually desired Shinji's presence, if only so that there was someone around who she could actually order around.

"Possibly," commented the albino. "The way you indicated would have deposited us in the furnace." That was the third such potentially lethal direction that the red-head had given, leading Rei to begin to suspect that her companion was attempting to kill her. If that was not the case then there was also the possibility of an almost savant level of incompetence. Either option held some merit to the young pilot.

For several seconds, that little fact was chewed on by the red-head's processors. As much as it galled her to admit, even in the silence of her own skull, Rei did know more about the inner workings of NERV than she did. Was it possible that her route was a potentially fatal one? "Still," she huffed in an attempt to restore her authority, "you should consult me before acting against what I say."

"Why?" Though her tone was, as always, quite flat, there was something about that question that seemed to hold a library's worth of bewilderment.

"Because I'm the senior ranking EVA pilot here."

"How has such a status been determined?"

"How do you think, stupid? Of the two of us, I've got the best EVA and the best sync ratio. That's what makes me the best, and that's what gives me seniority."

"And yet, in the established hierarchy, you hold the same position as Ikari and myself. Unless the Commander or Captain Katsuragi have stated otherwise, we are equals." For some reason, saying that left a foul taste in Rei's mouth and she felt compelled to follow it with, "In terms of our position within NERV operations."

"Oh for god's sake! You're a damn doll for everyone else, why can't you be one now?" That she wasn't was a further blow to the red-head's sense of superiority.

"I am no more a doll than you a female dog," replied Rei.

Asuka refused to believe that Rei had said what she had heard. "What?"

Rei stopped and looked at the bothersome girl. "On several occasions I have heard others call you a bitch. Since you are not a member of the Canidae family I must conclude that such statements are in error. Just as your naming me a doll is in error."

"_Have I just been insulted by Wondergirl_," asked Asuka to herself. Verbally though, she settled on, "W,w,what?"

"Is you hearing damaged Pilot Sohryu? Perhaps you should ask Dr. Akagi to examine that."

"_Okay Asuka, that's it. You're hallucinating. That's got to be it. The heat and musty air are making you loopy_." For her addled mind, it was the only explanation that she would allow. Otherwise Rei was playing with her, and dolls are not the player, they are the playee. "Just get us to the base," she grumbled.

"As you wish." As she walked off, Rei felt a slight smile split her face. She did not know why, but somehow that exchange made her feel very happy.

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Even operating under cloak, it did not take Ifurita long to reach the oncoming Angel. As she closed in the woman soon came to the conclusion that her rapid approach went unnoticed by the spider-like creature. According to her sensors, it was running with its defensive field up. What seemed odd was that the field seemed to have a lower output than the last Angel's; she would have expected an increase between generations.. There were several possible scenarios as to why such a reduction occurred, but all that really mattered at that moment was the simple reality that bypassing the field would be exponentially easier this time around.

In an effort to show their capricious nature, the gods, having made the Angel's field weaker, placed the beast quite close to several small towns that lay along the route to Tokyo 3. Such unfortunate placement meant that any sort of meaningful combat would prove potentially fatal to civilians. The net result ended up being that the attacks she had once used to level whole cities would not be advisable for the moment. Still, she was not completely powerless, as a lance of fire from her staff attested. Where it touched, the Angel recoiled in pain.

It had been her hope that, upon sensing the attack upon its person, the Angel would cease its forward motion and seek out the one whom assaulted it. Instead of such a reasoned response, it continued towards the city and all the innocents therein. For such a large creature, the Angel had been moving rather quickly towards its destination. Now that it was under attack, that speed increased. So, instead of holding it in place, Ifurita was now forced to do all that she could to slow, or even stop, its progress.

Using a careful manipulation of water and earth, the former Demon God worked to make the Angel's footing unsure. At the same time, she launched blades of air into its legs to further limit their mobility. When the elements were not her plaything Ifurita shot into the thing's upper side in an effort to force it into a regenerative cycle. It took a lot of energy, trying to stop the Angel as she was, but eventually she succeeded in bringing the beast to a complete stop just outside the metal and concrete shell that covered the geofront.

Surveying her work, a tired Ifurita looked upon her opponent with satisfaction. Currently, it would be some time before the Angel would reach a point where its reserves allowed for any further assaults. And speaking of reserves, hers were rather low as well. She had enough to maintain her cloak and fly, but not much more. "Well I can go back to Makoto and then we shall see from there."

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After what seemed to be an hour of crawling through narrow metal tubes, Rei announced, in that subtle and almost silent way of hers, that the air vent before them was the right one. She began saying something else, but that went unnoticed by a red-head who had long since past the point of wanting to hit someone. Wedging herself between the grate and the ceiling of the duct, Asuka unleashed an inarticulate cry and slammed her foot down.

For about half a second, the young woman felt a great surge of elation as the grate fell away before her might. She even started to make a cry of triumph. It was about then that gravity took hold of her and her cry became a yelp as she fell through the hole.

Looking down at the form of Asuka sprawled out on the floor below, Rei felt a spike of satisfaction. "As I was about to say, there are latches that can free the gate." She paid the girl's angry grumblings no mind and jumped out of the duct.

Just as Rei had thought, her route landed them right in the middle of the cages for the Evangelions. The normally well lit hold was dark now. Only a handful of portable lights shined in the gloom, and all the really did was make the place even more eerie than usual. Spying Dr. Ikagi approaching, the albino saluted, "Reporting for duty."

The blond nodded. "Good. We've been expecting you. Where's Shinji?"

Asuka, having finally extricated herself from the floor, snorted. "That idiot? He went to see a stupid movie before the power went out."

"That is true. And we have not seen him since."

Ritsuko grimaced, "Damn! That means we have to launch with two Evas."

"They are ready," asked Rei with the closest thing she had to surprise.

For the first time since she had started talking, the head of Project-E smiled. "Yes. The Commander got a crew together to manually ready the EVAs."

"How far out is the Angel," asked Asuka as a trace of her vaunted training shown through.

From beside the scientist, her ever-present shadow answered. "Unknown. What short range communications we've managed to get are spotty and odd. All we know is that it's out there."

"Then I will report to my EVA."

Asuka watched Rei walk towards her machine in shock. "You idiot! You can't pilot dressed like that."

"Pilot Ikari did. And he beat the Angel. I hope to be as competent."

Not wanting to outdone by the Invincible Shinji, even if he wasn't there, Asuka ran to catch up with the pale girl. "Hey! Stop running off dammit!"

The two scientists stood still as they watched the two teens walk off. "Sempai? Did Rei just . . .?"

"Its best not to think about it. Come on, let's see if Mitsuki made it to the surface."

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Near one of the NERV exits, a massive truck burst through the metal security fence. Over the screeching of metal could be heard a resounding chorus of success. One of the heavy-purpose transports barreled down the road; the first in a small convoy of five such vehicles.

When the power had gone out, it was a foregone conclusion that an Angel, or some other threat, was coming and the EVAs were going to have to be made ready. While a team went through the laborious task of prepping the titans, it had been Mitsuki that had made a suggestion. In the NERV fleet of vehicles there were several large mobile generators that were used to power the EVAs in places off the main grid. If some people could get to those trucks, then the pilots could switch to them once they hit the surface.

It had been a brilliant suggestion; one that no one else had thought of. And, like all brilliant plans suggested by one lone soul, Mitsuki had immediately been placed in charge of it. She welcomed the chance to get out of the darkened base and, after gathering a small group of helpers, NERV's newest employee headed for the surface.

From their starting position, the convoy headed for the center of the city. There, the EVAs would have the maximum radius in which to fight. And, if they needed to get closer to one side of the city or the other, the trucks could moved quite easily; given that they were not tethered to a long series of command bunkers.

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By the time Rei and Asuka reached the surface, they were really jonesing for a source of power. That source showed itself on their displays at the center of the city.

"Hey there! Welcome to Mitsuki's power emporium! We've got leaded and unleaded electricity."

The two teens eagerly plugged their units into the mobile generators. When their displays changed from the battery countdown to a steady-state indicator, both girls sighed. In spite of the copious amount of power that had remained in their external batteries, there was something very gratifying about not having that damnable countdown on their screens any longer.

"Okay, where's that Angel?"

Expanded to several times her normal size thanks to the EVAs sensors and the entry plug's display, Mitsuki pointed off in a direction. "We sent someone up a building and he saw something in Sector 3."

Asuka turned her gaze over to that area of the city. When they had first risen from the depths of NERV's emergency EVA tunnels she had glanced in that general direction. Then, she had thought the dark mount to be part of the terrain and paid it no mind. Now though, she saw it for what it was. "Roger that. Angel spotted in Sector 3."

"It appears to be injured."

The red-head smiled ferally, "Great! Now just you wait wondergirl! You are about to see how a real pilot handles things!"

Under Asuka's control, the massive war machine almost sauntered through the streets of Tokyo 3. Inside the plug, where no one could hear her, she was positively singing her own praises. Today, they would see why she was the better pilot. She was going to walk up to immobile creature and dispatch it with no property damage and nary a scratch in the paint.

On the ground below, Mitsuki silently cursed the Angel. It's current state would serve as a roadblock for her plans regarding Asuka. Everything pointed to a need to break the girl down, but easy victories such as this would only boost the girl's confidence.

When the two titans arrived at the Angel, it became quite clear why it was no longer moving. Deep gashes marred its form, a testament to some battle that neither girl knew of. Something else that was clear through the carnage was the creature's core. Its red surface shined out from one of the nastier wounds, almost beckoning all to destroy it.

Unit-02's pilot heard that siren's song and reached up to withdraw her progressive knife. There was no reaction to any of this on the Angel's part and she was feeling quite confident that this would all end as she desired. That changed the moment Asuka switched on her blade. On the top of the Angel, a set of eyes opened and seemingly looked directly at the girl in the cockpit.

Immediately Rei went into motion and grabbed hold of the Angel; pressing it into the ground. A distortion in the air alerted the casual observer that she had nullified its A.T. Field, leaving it thoroughly exposed to attack. "Now."

"DIE," roared Asuka as she slammed her knife home. There was a loud scream that echoed across the city as the Angel's core cracked around the massive blade. It was the death rattle of a titan as the last of its life was expended without ever seeing the All-Father again.

"See that, First Child? That is how a real pilot kills an Angel," crooned Asuka triumphantly.

"Yes, I am sure that all Angels that have been rendered immobile by an unknown assailant will be as easy to dispatch."

"Right! HEY!"

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The sounds of cooking filled the Katsuragi kitchen. Moving through the space like a king, Shinji Ikari plied his skills to the extreme. Today he was cooking the most elaborate meal he knew of, not for the joy of it, but to act as an apology to his guardian and friend, Misato. Unlike Asuka and Rei, who had defeated the Angel with a minimum of work, Shinji had never even managed to get close to the base. The closest he was able to get to a NERV presence was the small outpost Mitsuki had created in the city's center.

When people needed him, he had failed them. Instead of defeating the Angel, he had been wondering through Tokyo 3's labyrinthine streets. Asuka's victory, while earned, only served as reinforcement of his failure. Sorry, in this case, didn't seem to be a strong enough word. So, in its place he would make Misato a meal fit for a queen. Hopefully, it would be enough to convince her to absolve him of his sin.

At the edge of the kitchen, Misato stood watching the young chef move about the room. "_Look at him_," she mused, "_he's trying so hard to make me feel better. And everything is smelling so good too._" Acting on her subconscious desires, the woman's body moved towards the young man. "_I've got to show him that this isn't necessary._"

Shinji felt her walk into his domain and began to work harder. "H,hey Misato." Though he really didn't want to experience another angry ass chewing like the one when had disobeyed her orders during the Fourth, he wasn't going to be rude.

The woman winced at the meek tone to his voice. "_I did that to him,_" she thought morosely. "Hi." The greeting was weak to her ears but she did not stray from her path. "Shinji . . . I'm sorry."

A spike of surprise hit him so hard that he nearly dropped a spoon into what he was cooking. "W,what? Why?"

"I've so horrible to you these last few weeks."

"Miasto," he started before one of her slim fingers pressed against his lips.

"No Shinji, I've been cold and distant and it isn't really fair that I've been treating you like that. Especially since the problem is completely my own. You shouldn't feel like you have to make something elaborate just to appease this old dragon."

Shinji looked at the woman with surprise. Here she was, apologizing for a mild funk when Asuka could go into full rant mode and expect an apology from him for making her blood pressure rise. It was just another reason why she was so great. "But Misato, this was my apology to you."

Now it was the woman's turn to look surprised. "Why are you apologizing to me? You haven't done anything wrong."

"But what about the battle? I got lost a,and you needed me. W,what if Asuka and Rei hadn't made it in time?"

She started to laugh. "That's not your fault. None of us could have known that all the power in the city would go out. So don't beat yourself up for something that not even your father expected."

The young man grimaced at the mention of his father, but understood what she was saying. "But what if it happens again?"

"Well we can start walking the city, together. Get a feel for where NERV is at any given point. Sound good?" He really didn't have to answer that question, his wide smile was all the answer she needed.

"That sounds great Misato! Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, would you like some help?" Though here regular forays into the culinary world usually resulted in something that not even Dr. Frankenstein would call his own, Misato genuinely wanted to help.

It took Shinji but a moment to think of something the wonderful woman could do. "Can you stir that pot while I dice these onions up?"

Misato eagerly moved over to the indicated utensils and began the work of helping the young man prepare their meal. "Sure," she chirped happily.

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In a darkened room a dangerous, and some may say stupid, game was being played. Though the entirety of the SEELE committee was gathered, the game was being played by two men. Gendo Ikari and Lorenze Keel stared at each other from across the table. While the other members of the committee worried themselves with the most recent aberration from the scenario, those two stared and considered the other's position.

Though none could tell it, Gendo was furious. Keel had betrayed him! Betrayal was something that he had expected, even planned for. It was the timing of the betrayal that enraged him so. The scenario was paramount. To deviate from it could mean the undoing of all that they have strived for. Yet what does that bastard do? He rendered Earth's sole protector impotent just as another Angel was due to arrive! What would the idiot had done if the pilots had proved incapable of arriving in time?

Honestly, Gendo knew what Keel's objective had been. The bionic bastard had wanted to show Gendo who was really in charge in the grand scheme of things. Yet such juvenile games would get them all killed if he wasn't careful.

"What are you doing to rectify this situation," demanded one of the other incompetents in reference to the recording.

Even as he thought of ways to seek revenge upon his betrayer, Gendo was able to smoothly rebuff his critics. "Section-2 has been charged with finding a possible launch site for this new UAV, and the MAGI are searching for its creator." Though the cameras had been dark at NERV, some JSDF optics had managed to produce a recording of the Angel being accosted by some unseen force.

Of course the idea that these odd encounters were the result of some terrestrial agency was a laughable one. But Gendo had gleefully led the committee to it and the mewling idiots had embraced it wholeheartedly. It was clear to the bespectacled man that Akagi was right in her assessment that no force on Earth could have come up with such technology.

The only other person on the committee who had reached a similar conclusion had been Keel. After the admittedly ill timed operation in NERV he was willing to let Gendo have his way. "Very well. That shall be fine for now. But do not keep us waiting for long Ikari. The scenario can not be deviated so much longer without consequences."

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Author's Notes: And so, we see the end to yet another chapter. Several things of note have occurred in this one. Mitsuki is now at NERV, giving Misato a friend that isn't mired in spooky, end of the world type, secrets. Look forward to some real, honest-to-goodness super science from her in a later chapter. Speaking of Misato, I don't know what came over me, but I really started on a weird tangent in the elevator. I am not, in my natural environment, that religious. So I really don't know where I got that. This chapter was also a chance for Asuka to get a victory that didn't have Shinji coming around mucking around. As for Shinji, something just appealed to me in having the young man kind of wander around the city looking for a place to get into NERV.

The fact that Dual! and El-Hazard are parallel worlds goes a bit further in explaining why those two got their dimensional wires crossed. I felt that it made since given the epic scope that the worlds built in.

And finally, the chapter's title. When I was coming up with it, Fire and Ice just popped in my head given the Rei and Asuka parts. Even when I thought of it my mind mentioned how cliche it is. But you know what, I don't care. Every EVA fanfic has to have a chapter titled that, its genre.

Well until next time, this has been:

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People.


	9. The Scenario Further Deteriorates

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 8 - The Scenario Further Deteriorates

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As she stepped into the office of her employer, Misato could feel a wave of dread wash over her. This was nothing new to the woman. Be it the dark, foreboding ceiling that seemed to hang precariously above the floor. Or perhaps it was the cold which was so deep it chilled her soul. It could have been her employer himself; a man so distant yet ever-present. Whatever it was that gave her the heebiest of jeebees, Gendo Ikari's office had it in spades.

If she could, the violet-haired woman would fill the space with concrete and barbed wire and never look back. Instead, whatever deities that there were in the world seemed to derive a perverse pleasure in sending her to the immense space at least once a week.

Not even the presence of Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki could lighten the office's mood. Normally, the older man was warm and kind to those who knew him. People would much rather take their problems to him rather than the Commander. But in this place though, all the warmth and kindness seemed to leech away until Kozo was left looking like some ghoulish statue Gendo had decided to install for the ambience. More than once, as Misato looked into the man's clouded eyes, she wondered which was the real man and which was the facade.

Still, no matter how much she would rather chew off her own leg than be in that place, Misato was a soldier. She had been ordered to appear before her superior officer and she would do so with all the discipline her instructors had drilled into her. "Captain Katsuragi, reporting as ordered sir!"

Gendo looked upon the saluting woman and felt a flash of distaste. Such displays were designed to confer respect among equals and there was nothing that made the woman before him his equal. She, like everyone else in NERV, was merely a tool. Tools should be silent and work properly when they were told to. Unfortunately, the tools he was forced to work with were also people; people who had their own desires and motivations he was forced to contend with.

Which was precisely what this horrid farce of an event was. "At ease Captain." Slowly, so as to maximize the woman's discomfort, he opened the file on his desk and made a show of looking it over. "I see here that, since you have arrived, you have performed your duties quite thoroughly. Accordingly, your plans to deal with the Angels and that . . . unfortunate Jet Alone fiasco, have been most effective. I suspect they would have proved all the better if outside forces had not . . . interceded. In light of your performance to date, I hereby promote you to the rank of Major."

Smoothly, Fuyutsuki withdrew a small box and held it open for Gendo to take. In it were the gleaming rank insignia and all that entailed. "Of course," said the bespecled man as the woman reached out for her reward, "with greater rank comes greater responsibility."

Misato stopped her forward momentum and returned to her 'at ease' position. This was a speech she had heard many times, in one form or another, over her career in the service. Had the Commander not given it the ceremony, such as it was, would not have seemed proper. "Yes sir," she said smartly.

"As part of your new responsibilities, I am placing you in charge of the effort to hunt down the agencies which have been taking part in recent events."

"Sir?" Now she was confused, from the man's tone it seemed as if the Commander did not approve of those individuals whom had been aiding in their cause against the Angels.

"I am sure that a woman of your training is aware of the dangers of loose cannons taking part in a military exercise," interjected the older man with false-friendliness. "We simply wish for you to find these people so that we may thank them for their service and roll them into our own operations."

"Yes, we wouldn't want our pilots to come to harm because some . . . well meaning individuals were not in on our plans."

Misato could indeed see the merits of what the old men were proposing. The last thing they needed on a precise operation was something like what happened to the 5th Angel. Not even Ritsuko had been able to say definitely what would have happened to one to the children when that thing opened up with its black hole weapon. "Understood sir," she said with a salute. "Any further orders?"

"Just one, in addition to your new duties on the task force, I am temporarily placing you in command of NERV. Both myself and the Sub-Commander will be out of contact for the next few weeks as we attend to business elsewhere."

If the hunting down of their potential allies gave her pause, this newest responsibility felt as if someone had just slammed the weight of the world upon her shoulders. She, as a rule, did not like the amount of paperwork that her current job entailed. The last thing Misato wanted was the kind of mountains that both men must surely endure on a daily basis. "I will not let you down sir."

"See that you don't," said Gendo with not a small trace of menace, "dismissed."

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If there was one of his traits which others might place in the good category, it would be Kaji's tenacity. He could ferret out secrets and information better than most people who played the game, at least at the levels he played. The scraggly spy took that aspect to all facets of his life, proving to be quite capable of pursuing a woman until she simply gave in from exhaustion. So, it came as quite a surprise to the spy that his normal methods were having no effect on his current target, one Misato Katsuragi.

Strike that, they were having an effect on the purple tressed woman. Ever since the elevator his advances were being returned by an ever thickening wall of ice. It was starting to get to the point that he knew when she was in the area simply because of the chill in the air. In the past other woman had acted in such a manner towards him, and every time he had managed to break through that wall and melt her sheets; well almost every time, there was that one woman in Germany, but how was he supposed to know that she was a lesbian.

Still, he was pretty sure that Misato hadn't suddenly decided to play for the other team. And like the dog that most women called him, he wasn't going to let up on his latest bone until he was good and done with her. So he stood, in his usual nonchalant way, outside the Commander's office waiting for his buxom prey to exit.

Kaji did not have to wait long, for soon after he arrived the doors flew open and Misato strolled out with her jaw set. "Well if it isn't our new Major. Congratulations Misato."

Misato stopped at that voice and felt a momentary shudder of disgust wash over her. _"Great, I've got to deal with the minuteman on top of everything else,"_ she mentally groused. "What do you want?"

There it was again, enough ice to freeze an EVA. But he was tenacious and he was patient, two tools that he was positive would serve him well once more. "Now don't be that way Misato. I was just giving praise to an old friend. Nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"Emphasis on old," she growled. "Besides, you never talk to anything with tits without an ulterior motive, so what the hell do you want?"

_"Well Kaji ol' boy, I think its time for some tactical retreat. Misato's looking especially pissed this morning."_ Shrugging his shoulders as if her words had no effect on him, Kaji smiled at the angry woman. "Was just saying grats Misato. See ya around."

Though he walked away with his usual aloof stride, Kaji felt a well of hurt get larger. When he had heard that he was being posted to Tokyo 3, Kaji had been elated. It was going to be, he thought at the time, his chance to make amends to the one that got away. Of all the woman he had loved over the years, Misato had been the only one he had actually loved. He had hoped that she would still feel the same way, but that hope was dying a rather slow and painful death as he interacted with her more and more.

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Mitsuki had heard, from several credible sources, that NERV was a crazy making place. The work load, they had said, would soon become so much that any hopes for a life would be squashed beneath the quantum singularity that was NERV. She didn't know if it was her luck power in play, or if it was just her own skill, but those dire warnings had proven most untrue.

As a floater, she had nowhere near the load as others who were tasked with a single department. Her position necessitated that she advise, devise, and revise but never actually put her work to anything but a computer screen; the other departments saw to that. Since she joined, NERV saw several systems across the board gain improvements at either a micro or macro scale.

All in all, her's was a rather satisfying job made more so by the perks of her position. She could, whenever the fancy struck her, chat with Misato about anything or nothing. There were also all the sync tests that called for Shinji to come around the base and converse in an off moment. Mitsuki even had opportunities to check on the progress of her little Asuka project; something that she felt was going quite well even with the recent string of victories in battle.

"You know, for a place that is supposedly about saving the world, NERV is really boring," she sighed as she spun in her chair.

Just about then, her office door slowly slid open to reveal the haggard form of Misato. The woman moved into the room like a condemned prisoner before plopping herself down in the extra chair that Mitsuki had procured for visitors. "Ugg," she moaned.

"Rough three hours," asked Mitsuki with a raised eyebrow. They had both gotten into work at the same time, but Misato looked as if she had put in a full day already.

"You have no idea. Got called into the Commander's office."

For a moment an image of that dark place flashed in the brunette's mind and she felt a chill run down her back. "Fun," she said with distaste.

"Oh yeah, its a barrel of laughs. Who doesn't love that tomb," she said sarcastically.

"So you've heard the rumor then?"

"Rumor?"

"Yeah, scuttlebutt is that he's got his wife up there wrapped like a mummy."

Misato giggled at the somewhat disturbing image, "Sounds like something for Abbot and Costello." She continued her laughter for a little while longer before returning to her prior state of melancholy.

"Want to hear about the new Anti A.T. Field we're working on?" With the woman's hatred of those creatures, maybe it would cheer her up.

She looked up at her friend with a bleary eye, "Can you tell me without the Ritsuko-speak?"

"Sure," giggled Mitsuki. More than once she had watched her friend talk with the doctor only to come away completely mystified, so she knew how appreciated straight talk would be.

"Then regale me," commanded Misato before letting her head back.

"Well we're pretty sure that we can create a shield that can selectively cancel any field we want."

The tactician's head jumped up eagerly. "Meaning that you could nix the Angel's field while leaving the EVA's intact?"

"Right."

She whistled, "Hot damn! Why'd Ritsuko never come up with that? No offense."

"None taken," smiled the dimensionally displaced young woman. "But honestly, I think it was a focus problem."

"A what now?"

Mitsuki laughed, "Look around you Misato. Everything around here is Angel, Angel, Angel. There's no money anywhere freed up for other avenues of discovery. That's great for the war, but what about afterwards? With everything dedicated to fighting the Angels how are you going to change course?"

"Hmm, never thought about that. I guess you're right, not many uses for an EVA when there's no Angels running around."

"Well there are some goods that can come of that program. I've been looking over some of the information on all the organ and cell cloning that were developed to repair the EVAs. I can't understand a lot of it, but I'm betting that, with a little work, the processes can be modified for use on people. If NERV could do that and get the patents, they'd make a fortune."

"NERV doing something other than making big-ass explosions? Now you're talking girl. I'll have to talk to Ritsuko and the commanders about that."

"Well make sure to mention that it was my idea. I wouldn't mind a raise."

"Yeah . . ."

As Misato once again settled into a brooding silence, Mitsuki took that as her sign to find out just what was bothering her friend. "So how'd the meeting with the Commander go?"

"He promoted me," said the violet-haired woman glumly.

"And that is a bad thing?"

"Well no. I mean, I'm gonna get a bigger paycheck, so that's great. Its all the other stuff that sucks."

Mitsuki leaned back in her chair and took a pose reminiscent of many a therapist, "Ah, I see."

Though she still had her head back and facing the ceiling, Misato nodded wearily, "Yeah. The Commanders got me running the place while they're gone god-knows-where. And that's on top of trying to find whoever's been out there killing Angels and stopping walking nuclear reactors."

The dimensionally displaced woman was grateful that her friend wasn't looking her way, otherwise she would have seen how pale Mistuki got. "Why do you have to find them," she asked carefully. Inside though, she was anything but calm, _"Damn, damn, damn, why did it have to be you Misato?"_

"Something about them being loose cannons that need to be brought in and placed in the NERV command structure," answered Misato airily.

It sounded so simple the way she put it, but Mitsuki knew first hand how a government would react if they ever got their hands on Ifurita or, god forbid, Zinv. It would make the devastation wrought during this world's Second Impact look like a minor fracas. "Oh."

"I admit, it sounds like a great idea. It would make planning out Angel attacks much easier and we wouldn't have to worry about them accidentally killing someone."

"I'm sensing a but here."

The newly minted major shrugged, "Honestly, given how powerful they've been so far, I don't really want to go around doing things that might piss them off. Last thing we need is a war on two fronts."

She breathed a sigh of relief at that. Misato would do her job, but not with the zeal that she preformed other tasks. That was a good thing for Mitsuki and the others. They just needed to be on guard more than they had been in the past. There was no need to make her job any easier.

"Well I'm sure you'll do your best. Just make sure to bring Shinji along when you do find them. He'll be able to smooth over any ruffled feathers."

Misato felt her cheeks get warm at the mention of the young man who had so completely captured her heart. "Yeah. That'd be great," she sighed softly.

"So . . . you tell him yet?" Of course Mitsuki already knew the answer to that. If Misato had told him the woman would be either much happier or much sadder.

"No. We've been going on walks ever since the last Angel. It's been so great being with him outside of work or the apartment. But I still don't think that I can tell him."

"Well he's not going to be there forever Misato." As the woman tried to reply, Mitsuki held up a hand, "It's the truth and you know it. Either he's going to grow up and leave once the war's over or he's going to get killed in a battle. Either way, do you want to live knowing that he had been there and you never told him?"

She felt herself go cold at that thought. As much as Shinji dying haunted her dreams, living without him was even worse. "I-I . . . "

"I'm not saying go right now and jump him. Just don't let yourself loose a chance to be happy. Okay?"

" . . . Okay."

"Good. Now come on over here and help me plan the party."

The newly minted Major looked at her friend with confusion, "Party? What party?" If it was a party for her then she really didn't want any part in it. Celebrating herself made Misato very uncomfortable.

"The party for me silly. In case you haven't noticed, I never got one for landing this job," she said with just the right amount of faux disappointment. Seeing her friend's look of disbelief she went on to say, "What? Were you thinking that this was for you," asked Mitsuki with narrowed eyes.

"No! It's just . . . I _did_ get promoted today."

Mitsuki put on a show of looking thoroughly put upon. "Fine! I guess we can add your name somewhere to the cake. But you're pushing it."

Though some thought her to be not that bright, Misato could see what her friend was doing for her and played along. "Okay, thanks for working me in somewhere I guess."

"You're welcome," said Mitsuki haughtily. "But since it's so late I guess we can't have the party today. After all, I do want a cake, and some streamers."

"Why you're at it I'd hold out for a banner if I were you. I mean, it's not every day you get a job at NERV."

Kazuki's pretend wife nodded in a good impression of Asuka. "Good thinking assistant."

000000000

"Ah Pilot Sohryu! So good to see you again."

Asuka looked at the giant psychiatrist incredulously. "You see me almost every day."

"That may be true, but on those days I am merely observing. Today I see you in a more professional setting."

Looking around at the beeping and roaring machines around her, Asuka could find little that warranted the title 'professional'. "We're in an arcade."

"Yes," smiled Dr. Wyatt, "it is a fascinating locale. Man, in an attempt to civilize itself, has delineated certain behaviors that are, and are not, acceptable in an enlightened society. Yet we have places such as these, where the unattractive aspects of man are elevated and made the norm."

She rolled her eyes at the string of psych-speak. "So why're here? Want to observe me in a more competitive atmosphere?"

"Very good! Though not completely accurate," he added and thus completely undermined the high Asuka was building. "No, you and I are going to engage in one of these activities."

Looking around at the various games, Asuka tried to decide which one Dr. Wyatt would pick for their latest session. It was a rather frustrating task given that she found it quite impossible to predict anything about the man. In its own way, the red-head found that unpredictability both infuriating and rather refreshing. "So which one do you want to use," she asked after finally capitulating to the unknown.

"Oh I have no conception as to how any of these infernal noise machines operate. Why don't you choose today? But remember, it will need to be one that two may play."

A feral grin seeped into her features as Asuka looked around for a game she knew she could win. It didn't take her long to see a Zombie Killer machine. She had played that one countless times in the mess back in NERV's Berlin branch. "Let's do that one!"

Dr. Wyatt looked at the indicated game and frowned slightly. "What a ghastly sounding title. I take it from your exuberance that you have some some experience in this game?"

Suddenly she wasn't as happy as she had been a moment before. "That's okay, right?"

"It is completely acceptable," he said with a smile. "My intentions here were to see you in a situation, outside of work, where you would hold an advantage."

After a short period of instruction, namely teaching the doctor how to control the game, the two began shooting digital undead with their plastic weapons. Shortly into the game Asuka began to assert her dominance in the situation. "We're going left," she said firmly before moving her character in that direction.

Gordon Gordon easily noticed the commanding tone. "As you are no doubt aware, I perused the reports detailing your last mission," he said in between shots.

That particular statement came just as Asuka was lining up a kill of her own. It so unnerved her that she missed the shot, letting the tall Britain grab it. "What'd you think of my second glorious victory," she asked quickly in order to cover her mistake.

"Well it was not completely your victory, if I recall."

"What," another missed shot. "How can you even say that? I was the one who killed it," she said as she cored two zombies and got a headshot on an ultra.

"Yes," he allowed. "But you were not alone, were you?"

"The first? What about her?" It wasn't like that pale freak actually did anything useful. Why, just the thought of the girl made her grip the plastic gun so hard it threatened to pop in her hands.

He nodded, "Yes, yes. Pilot Ayanami. Did she not hold the Angel down as it was awakening? According to assessments of the onboard recorders, if she had not done that, you may have been forced to fight it."

"Well yeah, she did that. But I killed it," she said with renewed pride.

He shook his head as he tried to shoot at one of the digital creatures. "What seems to be eluding you here though is the fact that, without her help, you may not have been able to kill it at all."

Asuka looked at the giant as if he said something totally alien to her. "All that matters is who kills the Angels. That _is_ why we pilot."

Dr. Wyatt sat his weapon down and looked the girl with a sad frown. "I was to believe that the mission of NERV was the protection of mankind against the Angel threat."

"And we do that by killing Angels."

"Yes, but do people really care who does the job? If there is a car chase, does anyone really care who ended it. Or do they just want to know that the chase ended with all the good people safe and the bad ones incarcerated?"

"But this is a tad bigger than a car chase! We're saving the world," she screeched.

"And how many people know that, precisely? Where are the paparazzi following you and the other pilots? Where are the nightly reports on your performance and whether or not you are trying hard enough? There is none, Pilot Sohryu. When there are reports about an Angel attack, they all focus on NERV. Maybe one or two will mention the Evangelions but those are few and far between."

Asuka did not like what she hearing, she did not like it all. In fact, his words stabbed deeply into the core of her being. Why was there no press? Why weren't there people lined up around the block to meet Shinji? Her mind had no real answer to those question and, instead, supplied a familiar standby, "But we save the world," she said weakly.

He nodded sadly. It was never fun doing that to a patient, but sometimes it needed to be done. "But just like the police, fire, and medical services, you are a cog in the greater machine. The people whose lives you touch directly may remember your name, outside of that limited circle however you are just another face like the rest of us. So, on that dour note, I leave you with something to ponder until our next meeting. Can you be satisfied with winning this war as part of a mono-faced group, or would you rather die but have the whole world know about you because of one or two successful battles."

The question, like many that seek the heart of a person, did not have a readily apparent answer to Asuka. It tugged and pulled at her mind in ways she had never experienced before. No one had even spoke of such things to her before. In Germany she was always how special she was, how important her job would be to the world. She had been shown videos of how the world treated those who they deemed important, and the young Asuka looked forward to the lavish displays of adoration for the service she rendered. Yet there were no parties, no ceremonies in her honor. All she received for her years of training was a mandate of silence.

000000000

"Well this sucks," muttered Kazuki as he looked at the empty apartment around him. While the Mitsuki and Makoto had jobs, he was pretty much stuck at the temporary home he shared with Mitsuki. Even Ifurita had more to do than he did, what with her continuous attempts at hacking NERV. In a way, he did have a job. Given that the Angels appeared without a great deal of warning, his job was to stay at the apartment and wait for an attack. If he had a job, or went to school there was no way he'd be able to get away to fight.

So, there he was, stuck at home with precisely jack to do. It is the dream of every school-aged person to just ditch the whole thing and stay home. Well now that he was living the dream Kazuki found himself longing for some Calculus. Just today he had done some writing, a story about a dimensionally displaced teen, and finished two models. Hell he had even partaken of two bowls of ramen, something Mitsuki was grudgingly allowing given what he had to do on a daily basis.

The only real breaks he got were those times he snuck over to the warehouse. Even then, there were only so many times he could wash Zinv before both of them had enough of it.

All his time alone did have one upshot though, it really made him appreciate Mitsuki all the more. Now more than ever he looked forward to her arrival with eager anticipation. They didn't get as much time together as they had with her old job. NERV was a harsh taskmaster and cared not about the lives consumed in its service. Some nights she had gotten home so late that it was impossible for her to cook anything.

Thus another task had fallen into Kazuki's lap. Though the most complicated thing he had ever made was the vaunted double ramen, he had taken up this task with a fervent zeal. It was something different for him to do, and more importantly it was something that earned him a gracious glance and a kind word from Mitsuki.

_"Speaking of cooking," _he thought as he looked at the clock, _"I better get started."_

Tonight, the choice of repasts was a relatively simple spaghetti meal. Of the choices available, it was only slightly harder than ramen, but it was one that Kazuki apparently did well so he also did it frequently. As he was browning the meat for the sauce the dimensionally displaced young man heard the door open.

"I'm home!"

It was Mitsuki, sounding more lively than he had heard in a while. "In the kitchen," he exclaimed with a smile. A few moments later Kazuki saw her head poke around the corner. She was smiling, always a welcome sight, and her eyes sparkled wonderfully. "Hi."

"Hi Kazuki," she chirped warmly. "How was your day?"

She knew the answer to the question, she must have. Yet every day it was asked as if his life was filled with wonders beyond her comprehension. "Oh you know how it is," he said with a grin as he played along. "Standby is always the most exciting bit of the job."

For a moment her smile dropped some. "If there was any other way . . ."

His smile took up the slack. "I know. Believe me." Then, just like that, he changed the conversation, "So, how was _your_ day?"

"Bleh," said Mitsuki as she stuck out her tongue. "I swear, that place could suck the fun out of anything. But there was one highlight."

Looking up from the boiling pasta, he said, "Oh?"

"Misato came by. Apparently the old men gave her a promotion."

Kazuki smiled at the news. "Hey! Good for her!" As he sat the spoon down a thought occurred to the dimensionally displaced hero, "Let me guess, you want to have a party."

She beamed at him. "That's right! Finally, after all this time at NERV, I will finally have the party I so richly deserve," announced Mistuki and sounding a great deal like Ms. Ra.

He blinked at that. "But I thought the party was for Misato," he said with confusion.

"It is Kazuki," she said much less grandiosely. "Misato's not the kind of person who likes to have people celebrate them though."

"So if we have the party for you we can also have it for her," finished Kazuki as the light of realization finally dawned on him.

"Good," she chirped happily. "Keep this up Kazuki and we'll make you devious yet."

He laughed at the image of himself done up like Mitsuki Rara's alter ego. And unlike most men, he knew exactly what he'd look like with breasts. "Yeah," he chuckled, "that's just what you want from the guy making your dinner."

Looking back and forth between the cooking food and Kazuki, Mitsuki tried to banish the image of him putting something in her food just for a laugh. "Um, maybe it'd be better if you stayed the nice, innocent Kazuki we all know and love so well."

Mitsuki hadn't meant to say that. It was just a saying, yet it also spoke to what she felt; something she had decided to not push on him. As it was, they were acting as husband and wife. The last thing she wanted to do is make Kazuki feel as if she were pressuring him into something. And she could see that even the word was enough for him to react negatively. Ever since she said it, he had stopped stirring and just stood still.

"Kazuki, I'm sorry. I-it's just something people say," she explained, though it sounded wrong somehow.

He didn't really hear her words though, at least nothing past the one which had Mitsuki in such a tizzy. It bounced and spun through his brain, adding power to his own thoughts of late. "Say it again," he said softly.

"Kazuki-"

"You never say it. I mean, I'm sure you do. But I can probably count on one hand how many times I've heard you use that word."

This isn't what she wanted. _"No, you want it so bad you can taste it."_ Well that might be true, but she wanted him to come to it himself. If she forced the issue then she'd be no better than that floozy Yayoi. "What do you want me to say?"

"I want to know how you feel about me. I know how Yayoi feels, and Mitsuki, and even Dee. But what about you Mitsuki? Here we are, pretending to be married. How much of that is an act and how much is real?"

"What do you want me to say? That I was always the pretty one? That everyone put me on a pedestal so high I couldn't get a date? That you were someone who tried to get to know me? That knowing you cared for me, even just a little, scared the hell out of me? That every time we jump dimensions the wait for you gets harder and harder? That every time we go to bed I want nothing more than to cuddle up beside you?"

Kazuki watched her with ever increasing shock. As long as he had known Mitsuki she had been the strong one. Right now though all that strength was being undone. With each word she spoke, the brunette grew more and more bitter; more and more depressed. Soon enough tears began to work their way down her cheeks as her form slowly collapsed. Towards the end, Kazuki felt his own tears join hers and, casting his fears aside, he knelt down and wrapped his arms around her.

"I-I'm sorry," he said through his tears. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

Mitsuki half laughed, half sobbed. "Why do you have to be so damn good?"

"You know," he started distantly, "that day, when you asked me about my visions, I think it was one of the happiest in my life."

"It was?"

"Yeah. I mean, there you were. The most beautiful girl in school was asking me about my visions and not trying to make fun of me or anything. You were so nice to me, and I felt like, maybe, you might be interested in me. And then we went to the other world and you were always there. Yeah, you might have laughed at me when I was in the girl suit, or got mad when I didn't do something right, but there were moments when I'd catch you looking at me. And I always wondered what you were thinking. I guess I know now," he said with a smile.

Though blurry eyes, she looked up at the young man who had come to mean so much to her. "And how does it make you feel," she asked hesitantly.

He looked down at her and felt an enormous wellspring of confidence swell in his heart. "Like I'm the luckiest guy in three universes."

There were days, especially those that fell during their month-long separations, that Mitsuki felt as if this day would never come for her. She would look up at the heavens and ask the gods if she would ever get what she wanted in her heart of hearts. When Kazuki had pressed her all of her insecurities had bubbled to the surface with dreadful glee. But now she felt as if she had cause for hope, "Does that mean . . .?"

"I-I've never felt like this before," he admitted. "I don't know what to do, but I want to learn," said Kazuki with a smile.

_"YES!"_ Every fiber of her being was positively exploding with happiness. New tears were flowing now, but this time they tasted with the sweet flavor of boundless joy. "We'll learn together."

000000000

"Man, this really sucks," groaned Kensuke between bites.

Toji was only half listening to his friend. The other half was trying very hard to look like he wasn't staring at Hikari while staring at her. "Lunch lady mess up your food again," he asked distantly.

"No man, I'm talking about Shinji."

That got the self-described jock's attention. "What about him?"

"Well for starters, he's not here."

He rolled his eyes. "You know he's got some test or something at NERV." It wasn't like this was something new. Shinji was always off doing something for his piloting, it was just another reason Toji never wanted to be a pilot.

Kensuke growled, "I know that damnit! Its just, he's always gone. And I don't mean the NERV stuff. He's off with those new people."

"So," drawled the muscular male, "I thought Shinji having friends was something we wanted."

The bespectacled boy winced. That was the rub, wasn't it? Yeah, they had wanted to get Shinji to open up and be an active member of the human race. But how could Kensuke say that, in opening him up, he didn't want to be left out? At least not without sounding like a douche.

Toji knew his friend well and could see the shorter man's plight spool out behind his eyes. "Yeah. Besides, its not like we still don't hang out."

"But not as much as we used to," said Kensuke, though the words sounded weak to even his ears.

Before either teenager could say anything else, the object of their discussion came walking up. "Hey guys," greeted Shinji as he plopped down with a bento of his own.

Both Kensuke and Toji looked their friend with some surprise. "Hey Shin man. I thought you had something going down at work."

"I did, but after a bit Dr. Akagi stopped them while she figured out some problem they were having with one of the sensors. Eventually they said I could just leave. So here I am," he said with a smile.

The military nut nodded, "Yeah, sometimes a little bug can take a long time to track down. So why're you so happy?"

"On my way out Mitsuki told me that she was planning a party. She asked me to invite all my friends. So, want to come?" Though he started off strong, by the time he reached the end of his question Shinji was almost mumbling. Mitsuki may have gone a long way in helping him with his self-esteem, he knew that he still had a way to go.

They shared a look, though Toji's was more of a 'I told you so' type. Seeing that his friend was suitably cowed, the jock turned back to Shinji and smiled. "Sure man. We'd be happy to come. Ken here still's gotta fight going about Char."

With the mentioning of his favorite character, and the argument that had arose around him, Kensuke growled uncharacteristically. "You bet I am, and this time I'm gonna have some proof that Char is awesome." His prior worry concerning Shinji was shunted aside in favor of his long-standing ire.

Shinji grinned, already looking forward to the conversation. "Sounds great! I'll be right back, I'm going to ask Hikari if she wants to come too."

Toji watched as his friend walked away. "And you were worried," he said wryly.

"Shut up," groaned Kensuke.

000000000

The party was, in Mitsuki's opinion, a success. People were enjoying the music while the menfolk discussed items of import. At last she heard they were up to whether or not Roy Fokker was a better pilot than Amuro Ray. Shinji was acting more open than the last time they all gathered and Kazuki had teamed up with him against the Fokker side. Even Rei seemed somewhat more animated, if only with Iffurita.

In fact, the only blemish on the whole affair was the presence of a certain red-head. But that was Shinji for you, he was just too damn nice to not invite her. Though Hikari's insistence that her friend should tag along to get to know the lonely EVA pilot probably did not make his task any easier.

And as it had so many times over the last few hours, Mitsuki's gaze fell onto one partier in particular; Kazuki. Though it had been a few days ago, the brunette still felt as if she were walking on air. Confession, they said, was good for the soul and now she was a believer.

After their conversation, the young couple had retired to bed early; drained from the emotional turmoil of the day. But as they drifted away that night, they did so in each other's arms. Since then there had been a closeness, a spark, which had not been there before. Tender glances were shared, as were quick touches. Neither teen had progressed further than that though, for even such minimal contact gave them both a heady rush.

"You know," stage whispered Misato, "if you keep looking at him like that, his clothes might burn off."

Mitsuki blushed deeply at the thought of Kazuki in the buff. "W-what do you mean?"

"Oh come on girl. I've been watching you all day. Both of you've got so much pent up sexual energy going on that Ritsuko could probably power an EVA or two off it." Something had happened, Misato was sure of it. Her friend was always grinning, and more than once she had caught the brunette just staring out at nothing with a goofy smile. If they weren't already married, the violet-haired woman might have suspected that they had popped their cherries.

"How are you liking the party," asked Mitsuki in an attempt to change the subject.

The recently minted Major rolled her eyes at the obvious ploy. Still, she would play along, for now. Besides, she wanted so payback for the all the relationship stuff Mitsuki had been talking to her about. Misato still hadn't been able to get the woman's words from days ago out of her head. "Its great. Not enough beer for my taste though."

"Well I couldn't get a swimming pool to agree," she quipped.

Misato laughed as she snapped her fingers, "Dang! I was hoping you'd be able to get them in line. But really, thanks for this. Normally I don't like parties that're about me, but this one's great."

"That's because it's for me," said Mitsuki imperiously.

"Right," she drawled sarcastically. "So, back to what I was talking about. What's up with the lovey eyes. Did he give you a really huge orgasm or something?"

Now her blush had entered the ultraviolet range. "N-no," she stuttered nervously. "I-I-I gotta dance." Before her nosey friend could say anything else, Mitsuki rushed over to her man.

000000000

Though he was having loads of fun helping Shinji fight against the Fokker squad, Kazuki was having a hard time keeping his focus on the conversation. Quite frequently his thoughts and gaze would turn to the matter of his roommate/girlfriend/play wife. And every time he looked over at her, the young man saw that she had been looking at him as well.

Before their conversation in the dining room he had never realized the weight hanging about his shoulders. It had been the weight of decision, to choose one woman or another. Kazuki knew that, when they returned, there would be some bruised feelings from Yayoi and Mitsuki Rara. Right now such things were unable to trouble him. For the first time in a long while he was free, and the brown-haired young man was determined to enjoy that freedom for as long as it lasted.

And enjoy it he was. The cuddling, and actual sleeping together, it was enough to make his head spin. But it was also immensely satisfying. Never had he felt like more of a man than when he looked down at Mitsuki's head as she slept the night away. In those moments Kazuki had the feeling that there was nothing beyond him.

Even Zinv seemed to be more energetic than normal. The constant background noise from his partner had become more approving. There were times when Kazuki was almost certain the killing machine was actually humming with contentment, something it had never done before.

As he countered a particular comment with regards to Amuro's 'death' the dimensionally displaced hero felt someone behind him. Turning, Kazuki saw Mitsuki standing there flushed and nervous. "You okay," he asked as he stood.

Mitsuki cast a quick glance back at a smirking Misato before turning back to look at the concerned young man. "Let's dance."

Kazuki wanted to ask her if she was joking but the brunette had already pulled him away from the other men and towards the small space she had set aside for just such a task. Though it wasn't exactly his forte, he went along with his girlfriend's wishes. Soon enough the teen was having fun as Mitsuki seemed to come alive before him, moving around in a way that seemed designed to provide maximum of enjoyment for herself while putting herself on display for him.

000000000

Back at where she stood with her drink, Misato was scowling at her friend. Something was up with those two, she was sure of it now. Whatever it was, it had caused a major shift in their relationship. Ever the gossip, the Major wanted to know what that something was.

There was another element to her scowl as well. They were happy. There they were, dancing and having fun, while Misato was left to just stand there with nothing but Mitsuki's warning from before running through her head.

Life without Shinji? For 99% of her life she had lived without him there. Partied without his quiet support. Feasted without his warm smiles. It had been so fun, so good. After coming out of her shell Misato had spent her time dedicated to the pursuit of life. God she had been so stupid.

"But he's a kid," a part of her would say. "And though you act like one, you're actually an adult."

And then Mitsuki's words would come back. Tomorrow an Angel could attack. More than once Shinji had been a heartbeat away from oblivion. The universe only gave you so many bites at the apple before revoking your get out of death free card. Could she go on without telling him, without knowing how he'd react to her feelings?

Finally, after thinking about it so much her head began to hurt, Misato downed the rest of her beer in a single swallow. Slamming the empty can on the table, she squared her shoulders and strode purposefully across the room. When she was beside Shinji she reached down and tapped his shoulder. As he looked up at her Misato felt her resolve crumble. Not wanting to be totally beaten, a part of her managed to make out, "Want to dance?"

When his eyes went wide and Toji spit out his drink, Misato had been sure Shinji would decline the offer. Instead, after a moment of shock, the surprise faded away and he smiled warmly up at her. Misato felt her world slow to a crawl as the young man stood. Sure she could see that he was nervous, but he never stopped or turned away.

"Sure."

000000000

He should be nervous. Dancing with Misato in front of all his friends, every one of his nerves should be ready to explode. And yet, he wasn't. Oh sure, when she first asked he had been but then he saw something in her eyes. Somehow he knew her request wasn't a joke, or the setup for some sort of prank. Instead, all he saw was an honest desire to dance with him and that sight wiped away most of his nerves.

Now, with Misato dancing before him, Shinji couldn't help but feel a measure of pride. Out of all the people she could have asked, she had chosen him. And though the room's eyes were undoubtedly on them, Shinji felt as if they were on one of their walks and it was just the two of them.

"Having fun," he asked, though he really didn't need to, her whole face was alight with joy.

"Yeah," she exclaimed happily. "This's great! How about you?"

Shinji smiled, "Yeah, it's amazing." And it was, he hadn't had so much fun in years. The only thing he wasn't sure of was whether dancing in general was enjoyable or if dancing with Misato in particular was what made it so good. Either way, he wasn't about to let go of the moment. Nerves and insecurities would come later, they always did. For now Shinji let the music carry him.

000000000

"Ikari appears pleased."

Ifurita looked from the blue-haired young woman to the young man dancing with Misato. The former weapon smiled at the carefree look on her friend's face. It warmed her heart to see such a sight outside of their normal viewings of Babylon 5. She didn't know whether it was funny or sad, but she, a creation with only destruction in mind, had better memories than Shinji; though said memories were the product of the mental life she had shared with her dearest Makoto.

"Yes," she smiled, "he does indeed."

"I do not think I have seen Ikari so pleased before."

There was a certain, almost wistful, undercurrent to the girl's words that drew in Ifurita. In fact, something about the girl in general pulled in the older woman. Maybe it was the similarly shaded hair? No, it was the look of loneliness about the pale child. Though Rei was surrounded by people who danced and partied merrily, the girl always kept herself apart from the rest. Once the towering woman would have thought nothing of a child's position unless it proved to be a target, now it was just a sign of a terribly alone young woman.

"I will admit that such displays are rare, but they are becoming more common."

"Interesting." It was an odd sensation for the albino, being comfortable with someone. Other than the Commander, she had never felt comfortable with anyone. Even Ikari, who she wished to spend more time with, engendered certain sensations she was unable to process. And Yotsuga, he evoked powerful emotions of fear and anxiety whenever he approached. This Ifurita woman, with hair so like her own, made her feel comfortable though.

When the woman sat next to her earlier in the gathering, Rei had immediately dismissed her as unimportant; a distinction most received. But soon, and to her surprise, the girl found herself conversing with her more than anyone besides the Commander. The words just flowed out of her as if the woman were a gravity well pulling them into orbit. And never once did she call her a derogatory name, something most worked into at least one conversation. Instead, Ifurita seemed interested in actually knowing her and a part of the girl reached out to satisfy that interest.

"I have not noticed them."

"Yes," nodded Ifurita. "I have noticed that he seems to have a harder time expressing emotion outside of the apartment. Perhaps he feels safer here."

She had not considered that. According to her study of psychology, humans took solace in familiarity. Such a thing applied to her as well. When she floated in her tube for the weekly dummy plug download Rei always felt more comfortable and open. It never occurred to her to apply such a concept to Ikari as well. _"Perhaps I should spend more time around Ikari when he is home,"_ mused the albino to herself.

"How long have you known Ikari," asked Rei inquisitively, or what passed for it for her.

"Oh not long," shrugged Ifurita. "Just since Makoto and I arrived."

"Yet you seem to know more about him than I." That was something which bothered the girl, though she did not recognize it as such. Though the woman had known him for less time than she had, Ifurita seemed possessed of a greater knowledge regarding him.

"Well I probably spend more time with him than you do. We do watch television together on occasion."

"Ikari watches television." While she knew of it, Rei never saw much of a point in the activity. The images on the screen were merely a fantasy. She had a hard enough time getting emotionally invested in reality to even think of doing the same for a fictional world. Now that she knew Ikari liked engaging in such things then perhaps she should give it a second thought.

Ifurita smiled at the girl, "Yes. There is one show in particular he likes. Have you heard of Babylon 5?"

"Does it pertain to some sort of Macedonian group?"

"No," laughed the bluenette happily, "it is about a space station set in the years 2257-2262. It is quite good, I know I enjoy it."

Rei nodded, not really committing to anything verbally but mentally reminding herself to look the program up. If Ikari appreciated it, then she would see what sort of merits it held.

As had happened on several occasions, the two sisterly appearing women settled into a silence. Neither was fully proficient in the communication arts, though Ifurita was more so than her companion. It gave them plenty of time to think and watch and compose their thoughts for the next burst of conversation.

Before that burst could occur though, Makoto stepped up to the two women. Looking at his love warmly, he held out his hand to her, "Care to dance?"

Though she greatly wanted to, Ifurita looked to her companion. "Do you mind," she asked with concern. Her goal for approaching the young woman had been an effort to reduce Rei's isolation, just leaving her seemed like a violation of that goal.

Ayanami looked between her new acquaintance and her teacher before shaking her head once. "I do not." She was used to being alone, so Ifurita's departure did not affect her much. Additionally, she could see the naked desire in the woman's eyes. It spoke of a longing to engage in acts with Mr. Mizuhara and for some reason Rei felt as if she could not stand in the way of such a desire.

Ifurita smiled at the girl beatifically, "Thank you. Perhaps Makoto can dance with you some after we are done?"

Makoto knew a request when he heard it and smiled down at his student, "Sure. I'd be happy to if you're up to it Rei." Though he had not made a great deal of progress, he worked hard to break Rei from the shell she was in. That Ifurita seemed to be working towards the same goal made him redouble his efforts. Like him, she must have seen the similarities between Rei and the drone she had been before he freed her from the obedience circuit.

Rei didn't know what to say with regards to this request so all she did was nod once. She had never danced before and the prospect was both terrifying and exciting.

"Great! I look forward to it," beamed Makoto before escorting his love to the dance area.

She followed the couple's path with her gaze. In her life she had been smiled at on many occasions. The Commander often smiled at her when she had done something to please him. Sometimes NERV personnel would direct s friendly gaze her way, but those often stopped before long. And then there was Ikari. He always had a kind word and a gentle smile for her, no matter how dire the situation became.

Yet there was something about the way Iffurita and Mr. Mizuhara looked at her which felt different. Somehow they had combined all the previous facial expressions to form a new, more perfect, appearance. More so than with any save the Commander, Rei felt the walls come down around them. It was as if she could tell them anything and they would understand. More than once she had found herself nearly saying classified things to the blue-haired woman. And though such behavior was cause to distance herself from the couple, Rei found herself being drawn ever closer to them.

Meanwhile, as the girl sat in silence, the objects of her gaze were engaged quiet conversation. The topic of which being Rei and Iffurita's interest in her.

_"There is something about her which feels familiar,"_ sent the former Demon God.

_"I know what you mean,"_ agreed Makoto. _"She reminds me of you right after Jinnai woke you."_

Iffurita shivered at the thought of the horrid little man's tenure as her master. _"Are you trying to save her too, my love?"_

He nodded, _"She deserves to be free. Even if it's just from herself."_

_"Something tells me that it will not be as easy to free her as it was me," _she sent with a giggle.

Makoto grinned as he dipped the beautiful woman in his arms, _"Yes, I have all the woman I need right here."_

She blushed and buried herself that much deeper into his arms. For the rest of their dance there were no more words. The couple just basked in the emotions of the other and let their bodies move to the rhythm of the music.

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Of all the guests at Mitsuki's party the only one who was not enjoying the festivities was Asuka. Sitting at the edge of the room, the redhead was pouting up a storm. With civilians around, she couldn't socialize with the others as a member of NERV. In addition, Kaji hadn't come to the event so the only person she had to talk to was Hikari.

Said girl was developing a deep sense of pity for her class' newest student. When Hikari accepted Shinji's invitation it had been her intention to push him and Asuka together. The redhead was beautiful and lively, a perfect combination for the quiet EVA pilot. And yet all her efforts to link the two had proven fruitless up until then. Shinji was oblivious and, for some reason, Asuka seemed to think little of him.

"I just don't get it Asuka," said the freckled girl as she shook her head. "Half the girls at our school would kill for a date with Ikari. Even some of the girls in relationships have said they'd give him a shot it he asked."

Asuka looked at her friend with some annoyance. "Does that include you," she asked sharply.

Unconsciously Hikari's eyes darted over to where a certain jock was conversing with his fellow males. "N-no," she stammered with a blush. "I don't want him."

The secret pilot saw her friend's actions and curled her lips with disgust. As bad as Shinji was, Toji was even worse. At least Shinj was a pilot, something which elevated him above most others.

_"But does it,"_ asked the memory of Dr. Wyatt.

For a moment Asuka looked around the room. There were no streamers in Shinji's honor. No one came up to him to praise his victories. The people treated him more like family than a superior life form. Even at school, where Hikari said there were legions of girls after him, the other students treated him no differently than the non-pilots.

_"You are only special if people think you are special," _spoke an underused portion of her psyche. That it used the voice of her doctor did not go unnoticed. With that thought nagging at her mind, Asuka turned back to her friend; her face was a mask of confusion. "Hikari . . . do you think Shinji is special?"

Hikari smiled as she completely misread the intent of her friend's question. "Well sure I do. He's a nice guy. Sure, he's a little quiet but that's been changing since I first met him. And then there's the whole pilot thing," she added flippantly.

Latching onto the final bit, Asuka charged ahead while letting Hikari's apparent feelings for Shinji's piloting status pass to the side. "But is he special because he's a pilot?"

"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "At first, I guess, I thought so. But when I learned more about it that went away."

"What do you mean?"

The freckled girl winced as she quickly looked over to where Toji sat. "Listen, can you keep a secret?"

Asuka smiled wryly at the thought of being asked such a thing. "Yeah, you can trust me."

"It was after the second Angel attack," she said with a whisper. "Toji was acting strange and the he told me something about the battle. Apparently he and Kensuke snuck out to see it and were almost killed. Shinji let them into the EVA with him. He said that Shinji could actually feel the pain of the robot and was screaming as he killed the Angel. After that . . . well being a pilot seemed like a bad thing. I mean, yeah, we need to stop them but I just wish that Jet Alone thing had worked so no one got hurt saving me."

And there it was. In no uncertain terms her friend, a girl who could not have possibly known her true position as a pilot, told her that piloting was less important than what sort of person the pilot was. It was a confirmation of all her doctor had said, a confirmation that all those who had built her up over the years had been lying. Standing abruptly, Asuka began walking towards the apartment door woodenly. She could feel the walls breaking down and there was no way in hell she was going to start crying surrounded by all these people. Though one thing was for certain, Doctor Wyatt would be getting a piece of her mind . . . just as soon as she put it back together.

000000000

The next several days were, for the dimensionally displaced quartet, most enjoyable. Things were peaceful giving the two couples plenty of time to strengthen ties between their loved ones. Kazuki and Mitsuki spent a great deal of time going out on dates of all sorts while Makoto and Iffurita stayed in and basked in their time together. Like all respites though, theirs came to an end.

An Angel had been spotted and the war was once again on.

The instant the alarm sounded, Kazuki began scanning the area for this newest threat. That he had not felt it before the alarm had been surprising but worrying as well. It meant that this one was far, far, off and so dangerous that they felt it necessary to warn the populace well in advance. Finding nothing, he bolted for the warehouse and Zinv. Should the need come, the best place for him would be in his partner's cockpit.

Still, that did not stop him from worrying about his new girlfriend. As was usual for a weekday, Mitsuki was at NERV doing her job of consulting on other people's jobs. Though NERV was probably one of the safest places on the planet to be when it came to withstanding an Angel attack, Kazuki could not help but remember that it would be that fortress which bore the brunt of the assault. And while the facility might survive the attack, there were any number of dangers which could befall her along the way.

000000000

Looking around her at the grim faces moving about their jobs with hurried efficiency, Mitsuki had to admit that she was impressed. Most of them were scientists and engineers yet they operated with the same professionalism she had come to expect from the soldiers under her father's command during the war. Though the decor could use some work.

Normally her position was that of consultant. Having no real authority vis-a-vie the command hierarchy, Mitsuki was free to jump from one department to another. She would have expected that her presence would not have been welcome on the command deck during a battle but Misato had grabbed her on the way up.

Displayed on the massive holographic projection was the latest threat to mankind. Though it was really just a large tube with several tubular protuberances jutting off the sides, there was a certain menace about it that chilled the foreign girl.

"How the hell are we supposed to get it up there," asked Misato angrily.

"We can't," answered Ritsuko forlornly. "All of our equipment is based on a close encounter with the Angels. We never expected to find them so far away."

"What about you Mitsuki? Got any ideas?"

Ideas? She had them aplenty. Unfortunately they all involved Zinv and/or Iffurita neither of which she could reveal to the women before her. At best they'd be dissected for their power and at worst . . . well there were rumors about what the Commander did to people. So, instead of her ideas, Mitsuki decided to speak of non-suspicious ideas.

"Well I've just gotten approval for the anti-A.T. field emitters, so those are no go. I don't suppose you guys have a ridiculously overpowered gun, do you?"

Ritsuko shook her head. "Looking at the data from the Fifth Angel I've hypothesized that the JSSDF's new positron rifle would have been able to hurt it, provided we commandeer all the power in Japan. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to make the necessary linkages. Additionally, there are issues with firing a particle beam over such protracted distances that makes me loath to try it. The only other weapon would be the LAC and it's still undergoing repair and refinement."

Though her friends both look disappointed with this turn of events, Misato felt doubly so. With no other fancy gizmos at their disposal it meant that, once again, they would have to rely on the skills of Shinji and the others. Just thinking about that brown-haired young man going into harms way was enough to make her chest hurt. That, more than anything else, was the real problem with her feelings for him, it made sending him out that much harder to do.

"Okay," she said finally. "We need to begin evacuating the city. The kind of damage this thing can do would take out the shelters."

Ritsuko looked at her friend with dismay. "Evacuation? Misato, I don't think you understand just what kind of an impact we're talking about here. The Magi are putting it as a second KT event."

Seeing the confusion on Misato's face, Mitsuki clarified, "Think the dinosaurs."

Finally the light of realization dawned upon the operations director. It was a dark light to be sure, but it was one which let Misato see what Ritsuko was concerned about. "Can the EVAs actually stop that?"

Though it loathed her to do so, Ritsuko shrugged. "As much as we know about A.T. Fields there is still a lot we don't. The pilots will be safe in their units, the fields can protect them from practically anything. Whether or not they can protect us all, that is an entirely different matter."

Absorbing the information, the violet-haired woman nodded slowly. Though death was something that she, as a soldier, had come to expect as a possibility in any operation, the chance that, very soon, then entire human race would come to an end was a daunting one. Still, it was in situations like this which she had learned to blossom. "Ritsuko, try asking those computers of yours about the feasibility of catching the damn thing."

"You can't be serious," asked the faux blonde incredulously.

"You bet your ass I am," grinned Misato grimly. "Now get to a terminal and start typing. We don't have a lot of time to plan this."

000000000

Silence reigned over the conference room in the wake of Misato's briefing. The three pilots stared at their superior with varying degrees of surprise. Not only was this plan of hers unorthodox, it was clearly put together rather quickly; neither of which made for a good outcome. Rei, though mildly surprised by events, appeared resolute in her commitment to the cause while Shinji tried very hard not to faint on the spot. Asuka, however, was not so restrained in expressing her displeasure.

"Are you kidding me? What kind of stupid plan is that," she screeched with incredulous outrage.

"It's the only one we've got," countered the Major. "There's no way to intercept the Angel before it enters the atmosphere. After that it becomes a great big bomb. Hopefully, by combining your fields we'll get enough coverage to catch the target and kill it."

"And what if we can't catch it, huh? What the hell will happen to us?"

"Then every man, woman, and child on the planet will die, including everyone here at NERV," she answered with cold truth.

While Asuka sputtered angrily, Shinji's head darted up to stare directly at Misato. As the conversation continued around him, the young pilot could not shake the words she had said so coldly. Just a short while ago he and the violet-haired beauty had been dancing and having the time of their lives. There was not much in his life that he wanted to remember, but the young Ikari could vividly recall dancing with her. More so than her beauty cavorting before him did Shinji embrace the joy he had felt during those moments. It was like he and she really connected in a way he had never experienced before.

Now, as the very real prospect of her imminent death was presented, the thought of her life leaving his felt like a knife to his heart. In times past he had contemplated the possibility of her dying during attack and it had always hurt. That pain was different than this new one though. The old pain was similar to the one he always felt when he thought about his mother's death, or something terrible happening to Mitsuki. As someone who knew what it was like to be stabbed in the chest, he had something to compare this new pain to and it was far worse than the barbs of the Fourth Angel.

Had his body been capable of movement, Shinji was sure that he would have fallen to the ground. As it was, he was rooted to his spot on the reflective floor. Rooted by lance of cold fire shooting into the front of his chest and out of his back. And every time his mind came back to the imagined image of Misato laying in a pool of blood, her lifeless eyes staring up at him, that lance seemed to get just a bit wider.

As the lance reached its widest point and his whole torso was consumed by fire and ice and pain, something sparked within the young man's mind. Every moment of his life since arriving in Tokyo-3 was replayed in rapid succession and for the first time he saw the momentum which had been building up to this very instant of revelation. And, for the first time, he wanted nothing more than to get to his EVA. There was an Angel out there and it had done the most unacceptable thing ever, it had threatened the true Angel standing before him.

000000000

Meanwhile, as Misato briefed her pilots, Mitsuki was in a nearby bathroom. Since the base was on high alert she was the only one in the porcelain-lined room. Standing with her back to the mirrors the brunette pulled a cellphone from her purse. Anyone who saw the small device they would have thought it a toy, for it was too small to be a real phone. Little would they know that it was a phone from another, and in many ways more advanced, world. No lines in Tokyo-3 used the carrier wave hers used and as such it was pretty much the most secure method of communication on the planet.

Though she had not been able to use the phone to contact Kazuki when he first arrived in Tokyo-3, in the time since that day he and Mitsuki were able to modify Zinv's com system to accept the signal. As she had expected, on the second ring the line was open and her boyfriend answered readily.

"Mitsuki! Are you okay?"

She smiled for him, even if he couldn't see it. "Depends on how you define fine. There's an Angel in orbit and we've got nothing here that can get it. Right now they're planning on catching the thing."

"Catch it," squeaked Kazuki incredulously. "Let me guess, Misato came up with that."

"Yeah," she chuckled. Her brief moment of levity passed and Mitsuki was back to the matter at hand. "Do you think you can get it?"

"Now that I know where to look . . . yeah. Zinv isn't equipped for interstellar travel, but he can make it up there." There was an almost deadly quality to his voice that was unusual to the normally happy teen, but spoke to Zinv's influence leaking through.

"Good luck . . . and be safe." She wanted to say more, but at the same time there was no way in hell that she wanted to sound anything like some pathetic woman tearfully sending her man off the to war.

"I will." With that the line went dead.

000000000

Before opening the roof on the building which Zinv rested in, Kazuki activated the titan's cloak. The last thing the needed was to expose themselves as they were trying to save this world. With the cloak in place the pilot hit the remote trigger to the doors and took to the sky.

As Zinv flew higher and higher his partner could not help but feel the war machine's almost maniacal glee. The titan had always reveled in combat. To tear into an opponent, to have their armies flee before him, was a wondrous experience. And up above was a truly powerful enemy, just the sort of thing to test ones mettle.

Kazuki was the temper to the weapon, he directed its power to ensure the right people fell before it. In that capacity, as Zinv reached a mile up, he dropped the cloak and devoted all of its power to propulsion. At that altitude it would be impossible for them to track his starting point and a part of Kazuki wanted those below to watch what he and his partner were about to do.

000000000

And watch the people of NERV did. Deep within subterranean fortress men and women hurried about their jobs as they tried to ready the city for the worst trial it had yet faced. Within the MAGI the cloned minds of Naoko Akagi worked at a fever pitch to churn through permutations with regards to the arriving Angel. Countless entry vectors were tried as they attempted to predict the enemy's approach. This information would be vital in determining the optimum placement of the Evangelions which were already in the process of being readied for the coming battle.

Despite the staggering amount of information flowing across the artificial neurons all three MAGI immediately prioritized the surge of data coming in from the city's perimeter sensors. Something had suddenly appeared over the skies of Tokyo 3 and the computers wasted no time in sounding the correct alarms.

Throughout the command deck eyes made weary from stress turned to the monitors for enlightenment. At first, all they showed was the vast sea of sky above the city. But when one keen eyed soul cried out, "LOOK," everyone knew what the computers had spotted.

There was not a soul in the cavernous room who had not seen the battle with the Fifth Angel. For some, the sight of the shining diamond being pulled within the ceaseless depths of a black hole still haunted their nightmares. Misato Katsuragi was not one of those people however. Though it was true that the thing's power was terrifying, so too was the power of EVA, and unlike those cryptic machines, no children were forced to pilot it.

"Get a track on that thing," ordered the Major with authority. "I want to know where it came from and where's it going." As grateful of it as she was, Misato still had orders to track and contact the thing and she would carry those orders out to the best of her ability.

"The MAGI have no idea where it originated from," announced the mousey Maya Ikubi fearfully. "At its height, it could have come from anywhere."

As she accepted the data, Misato did a mental 'V'. The last thing she wanted to do is piss the thing off, especially with an Angel on the way. "Do we have a track on its destination?" Even as she asked the question, the violet-haired woman had a good idea where it was heading. It had already taken out one Angel, odds were that it was after another.

With the information reflected in the lenses of his glasses, Makoto Hyuga relayed the MAGI's findings, "With two agreeing and one abstaining, the MAGI calculate that the unknown object is heading towards the Angel. Estimated time to contact, assuming a constant speed, ten minutes."

"Good, send the feed to the EVAs, I want them to see this." A confirmation from Shigeru echoed in her ears as Misato turned to her two resident technical experts. Distantly, the Major noted that Mitsuki seemed neither surprised nor intimidated by the thing's appearance, but she ignored that little tidbit in favor of the task at hand. "Opinions."

"Its power curve seems to be indicating that its not powering up for that black hole phenomenon," noted Ritsuko as she busied herself with the information from her mother's creation. "Additionally, it appears to be lacking the wings it manifested on its first appearance."

"I wish I could figure out how it flies like that," muttered Mitsuki as she watched her boyfriend and Zinv fly ever higher.

"What was that Mitsuki?"

"Its method of propulsion," added the young woman as she pointed to the object. "I can't see any indications of jets or rockets which tells me that it uses a completely different method of locomotion. I'd love to be able to work it out for use in a more practical application."

Misato grinned, that was just the sort of thing she expected to hear from a scientist. "Anything that'll help us now?"

She cast a quick look towards the holographic screen before looking her friend in the eye. "Keep prepping the EVAs for the operation."

Ritsuko looked up from her studies to stare at the younger woman questioningly. "Why? Surely it will be the same as last time." Against the destructive power it displayed, there was no conceivable defense.

Mitsuki shook her head, "We can't know that for certain. That attack might have been a one off for all we know. We must assume that the unknown will fail," she said with a mental apology to Kazuki.

"And even if it doesn't fail," added Misato with a sly grin, "there may be debris from the attack. If we stay on standby we'll be able to catch anything that comes our way." She slapped her young friend on the back warmly, "Great thinking there Mitsuki!"

Even Ritsuko was impressed with the young woman's evaluation. It also left her wondering about the brunette's background. For some reason she handled the science and the military as if both were old hat yet her age would say otherwise. Truly, Mitsuki Yotsuga was a mystery.

000000000

High above the gentle curve of the Earth, Zinv swam naked through the vast blackness of space. Though the titan felt no ill effects as a result of being in such an intensely hostile environment Kazuki stared at the view screens nervously. Intellectually he knew it would take something akin to a nova to break into the cockpit now that the limiter was released, but he also knew what space could do to him if that protection was penetrated. It was a primitive reaction to his surroundings to be sure, but one he couldn't quite shake.

Ever the professional though, the instant the Angel came into view the young man shunted those fears to the side in lieu of the matter at hand. As with the last one of these creatures he fought against, the Angel didn't look particularly fearsome. In fact, if he were to categorize his foes, the orange hulk before him would rank somewhere in the range of silly putty in terms of real threat; a belief Zinv readily shared.

Seeing as his ultimate weapon was not available at the moment, Kazuki decided on a less powerful, yet still deadly, tool in his arsenal. Holding Zinv's right arm steady he began pumping vast amounts of power into the cannon there. A shot from this weapon had thoroughly annihilated Ayuko's dimensional cannon, the grim faced young man expected a similar result this time around; though if a dimension jump could be avoided he would appreciate it.

Though the Angel had initially not reacted to his presence, when the titan began powering up its weapon a visible distortion in the local space appeared between Zinv and itself. That being said, the creature did not expect to win this battle, not anymore. Through the collective consciousness it shared with its brothers and sisters, the Angel knew of the small creature and what it did to Ramiel. Not even mighty Zeruel could stand before the power of a black hole.

Kazuki saw the distortion and knew it for what it was, an A.T. Field. Supposedly the ultimate defense against attack, to the teen it just meant that he needed to pour more power into the cannon; a request Zinv was all too happy to oblige. As the arm began to glow white hot from the power being stored within, both Kazuki and his partner roared mightily before firing on the stationary target.

The blast, along with the ancillary gravimetric warping, cut through the A.T. Field like a hot knife through butter. A heartbeat later that same shot blew straight through the Angel's core before shooting out the back, effectively cutting the beast in half. Both pilot and war machine looked at the sight triumphantly but only for a moment.

When the moment faded Kazuki saw that the singular foe now became two. Not as the Angel Iffurita killed had, for this one was most assuredly dead. However, its body was now tumbling towards Earth at fantastic speeds. Seeing the two fragments the young man knew that any lives lost now would ultimately be his fault. Fault or no, he would not let innocents suffer because of him.

In the realm of computing Zinv had nowhere the sheer processing power the MAGI possessed. After all what did a machine need with the ability to calculate Pi to the millionth decimal point? But Zinv didn't need that much power to figure out where the pieces would hit. By the time he had reached it, the Angel was already on its final approach so it came as no surprise that one of the pieces were on a collision course for the fortress city. Meanwhile the second fragment was headed for a nearby metropolis, what locals called Tokyo 2.

Staring at the falling debris Kazuki had a split second to come up with a plan and when he did the young man felt as if he were about to die. Grabbing the sympathy orbs for all they were worth, the pilot directed his partner on a course which would take him to the piece that was heading towards Tokyo 2. With only time to save one city he would have to place his trust in Shinji to keep Mitsuki safe.

"Good luck Shinji," muttered the young man as Zinv dove headlong towards the target; his Light Hawk Wings forming for extra power.

000000000

Deep within NERV people throughout the base were glued to whatever monitor they could find. With the EVAs launched there was nothing they could do but wait, and maybe pray. When the armored thing took out the Angel the entire facility rumbled from their triumphant cries. Some began to move away from the monitors to start the process of bringing the EVAs back in. They didn't get far when their co-work's dismayed utterances pulled them back.

In the command center Mitsuki watched the two pieces of the Angel fall out of orbit and begin to glow with the heat of reentry. Almost immediately the display was overlaid with the most likely destinations for the objects, neither of which gladdened her all that much. Seeing that she was standing at ground zero for an impact which would surely wipe out Tokyo 3, along with a good chunk of the surrounding countryside, the brunette cast her thoughts towards the titan hovering high above.

There was a connection that much she was certain of. Some strand of destiny or dimensional resonance linked her and Kazuki like convicts in a chain gang. Where one would go the other was just a short while behind. It did not matter that there were countless dimensions between the two of them, sooner or later Kazuki would show up at her side once again. Focusing every ounce of her being on that link, Mitsuki pleaded with her love to be the hero one more time and save the people in Tokyo 2. She might be dead very soon but there was no way she could go to her grave without knowing that Kazuki had done the right thing. The young woman nearly broke down into great heaving sobs when she saw that he had gotten the message and began following the right piece down.

Misato heard her gasp and completely misread the emotion behind it. "Good thinking Mitsuki," she smiled as she watched the two pieces of the now dead Angel fall towards them. "With the EVA's deployed they can still catch the thing before it hits us."

"It was the logical thing to do," replied the younger woman absently as she watched Zinv's descent.

From some unnamed tech came the question, "What about the second piece?"

Instead of looking worried, Misato stood straighter and stared at the descending unknown with a face full of hope. Though she knew nothing of where it came from or what its purpose was here on Earth, the major somehow knew that the object was here to save them. "It'll stop it."

000000000

Standing at the edge of Tokyo-3 like some sort of monumental runner, Unit-01 was poised to launch into action. Like those below, Shinji had been following what was laughably called a battle with rapt interest. Though he had long since devoted himself to saving the people he cared about, piloting EVA still bothered him; especially since each Angel he fought seemed to bring along problems for him to deal with.

Now, as the hunk of dead Angel fell towards his home at fantastic speeds, Shinji felt his focus sharpen to a razor's edge. If he did not bring his all to this mission, if he was not as perfect as Asuka claimed to be, then people would die. Not just strangers whom he had never met either, Ifurita was threatened, as was Kazuki, and Makoto, and Mitsuki, and . . . Misato. For any one of those he would gladly slay a thousand Angels, pilot EVA a million billion times. And for Misato? Well if these beings were truly Angels, then the young man would ascend to the gates of Heaven and look God in the eye if need be.

It did not matter that they could never be together. She saw him as a child, as the offspring she never had. He knew that and accepted it, but he would not stop loving her. Nor would he stop fighting this war to save her.

Breaking him out of his thoughts was a sudden beeping. In his entry plug the MAGI painted a picture of the falling mass. At the same time there was data on its speed, its angle of descent, and its possible impact sight. "I see it," he cried out. "Unit-01, moving out."

As he ran towards the target location, Shinji paid no heed to the similar announcements from his fellow pilots. In a distant corner of his mind he noted the icons for Rei and Asuka running for the same spot he was. The only thing on his mind was speed. Even a second could mean the difference between life and the death of thousands. With determination which would surprise Asuka, he channeled every bit of his will through the EVA; forcing it to move ever faster.

When he arrived at his destination the young Ikari wasn't surprised that he was the first. It seemed as if he was always the first against the Angels. Raising his war machine's hands towards the falling object, Shinji extended his A.T. Field out to catch the thing before it could harm anyone.

Soon enough the purple monstrosity was joined by Rei's blue Unit-00 and Asuka's fiery Unit-02. Like their counterpart, the two titans raised their arms and joined their fields with the determined comrade. Between the three of them, no force could get past them and if the Angel was still alive it would have learned this fact as it slammed into the combined barrier. The teens grunted under the mental strain but held their ground, for whatever their reason may be for piloting, each of them knew that they had to keep the city below them safe.

000000000

Meanwhile, high above Japan, Zinv sped towards the Earth at fantastic speed. The light hawk wings shined with power as they propelled the titan ever faster. At the same time, Zinv himself glowed with an angry red light as the friction of his descent tried to vaporize him. He roared defiantly against its attempts, if the merging of dimensions could not stop him, then a little hot air was nothing.

Within Zinv, Kazuki stared at the view screen with a determined gaze. Like his partner, he didn't fear the superheated air. The only fear in his heart lay with the woman who was threatened by the twin of the object he was sighting and even that he banished in his focus on the matter at hand.

Man and machine, bonded as one, dodged around pieces of the debris kicked off the main body by the heat and pressure of descent. As they rocketed around the leading edge of the mass, the partners shared a look at their opponent before continuing down towards the ground. Already they could see the city below. From this high up it was nothing more than a speck, but a speck which grew with each passing moment.

There wasn't much time left to save that speck, not at this speed. Even as he sped ever closer towards destruction, Kazuki had Zinv once again charge his cannon. Just as the weapon had gotten them into this mess, the young pilot swore that it would get them out of it. With only a handful of miles left and the air so thick it felt as if they were falling through water, the titan and the teen turned as one and punched towards the object with all their might.

Like the fist of an angry god, a bolt of white-hot death shot out of the cannon and slammed into the falling hunk of Angel. Between the power of the blow and the sheer force of its falling mass, the burnt piece of flesh exploded violently. It was only the gravimetric effects of the beam which funneled most of the blast up and away from the city below, saving it from the nuclear hellfire that such an explosion would have produced. Still, for a full minute, a new star erupted in the skies over the teeming metropolis.

Though chaos now reigned in the city of Tokyo-2, men, women, and children still had their lives to live and loves to love. That, more than anything else, was enough for Zinv and Kazuki. With a satisfied nod, they rocketed back towards Tokyo-3 and the people who would undoubtedly be waiting for them.

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As the last piece of the Angel erupted into a fiery nova five miles above their sister city, the command deck of NERV echoed with the joyous cheers of all those who watched the display. Never before had the facility experienced such a singular moment of pure joy. Once again, the mysterious suit of armor saved the day and it had done so in a movie quality finish. Never again would they fear the titan, for it had shown itself to be a friend of man.

Mitsuki and Misato hugged one another as happy tears poured down their cheeks. It had been a close call, another second or two and half of Japan's population would have been vaporized. But their faith was proven true and now they rejoiced along with the others.

Even Ritsuko was not immune from partaking in the celebratory atmosphere. Tears of happiness threatened to spill out even as she directed the retrieval of the three Evangelions. She was sure that, when the tale was later told, Misato would use wild gestures and loud sound effects to illustrate the story. But for the bottle-blonde, when _she_ would think back on this moment, she would count it as the first time that she felt like God was really on their side; for surely it had been an Angel, in the truest sense of the word, which saved all those people. Ikari would undoubtedly try to crush the armored form should he ever get his hands on it, but he would not have Ritsuko Akagi to help him. That much she was certain of.

Strangely enough, though the men and women of NERV partied like its 1969, the EVAs were returned to their holding bays with the same speed and efficiency that the techs had always displayed. After all, they too had participated in the victory that day. It was only right to get the pilot's chariots in as quickly as they could.

Seeing the retrieval one of the screens, Mitsuki pulled away from her friend and started pulling her towards the EVA cages. "Come on, let's go thank the conquering hero."

Not caring about propriety or any other concern that had been plaguing her when it came to a certain pilot, Misato whooped with exuberance and practically ran after her friend. "Hell yeah!"

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As he finished clearing his lungs of LCL, Shinji pulled himself out of Unit-01 and was surprised to hear the sounds of cheering. All around the cage technicians whooped and hollered as they waved at him. Not really knowing what to do, he smiled and waved back to as many of the people as he could. Though he did not know their names, he knew that each of those people played their own part in the victory today and he would thank them just as they thanked him.

Out of the thunderous din, the young man made out a female voice calling his name. He could not, at least not at that moment, see who called for him, but he could not help but recognize the voice. It was the same voice which welcomed him home, that told him he did a good job, that teased him and laughed with him. It was the voice he had pledged himself to with all his heart.

Looking for its source, Shinji soon saw a breathless Misato barrel through the cage door and out onto the gantry. Her hair flowed behind her in a wild mass and as her beautiful eyes met his own she came to a stop. For the first time he truly noticed the woman's heaving bosom and wondered why he had not seen how wondrous she was before then.

"Hey Misato," he said was a bit of swagger he did not know he possessed.

"Heya Shinji! Come on down and join the party," she called out joyfully.

With a smile he did as she asked and was not surprised at how she was already hugging him the instant his plug suit encased foot hit the gantry. His head buried in her chest, Shinji could feel Misato's happiness and for a moment he let himself imagine that her joy sprang from the same place as his own.

"Well look at that, our brave knight and his harrowing princess reunited once again."

Shinji felt his cheeks grow warm as he pulled away to look at the source of the quip. Sure enough, there standing with a happy grin was Mitsuki. Seeing as he was in a rather good mood, the young man was able to rise to the occasion. "If Misato here is my princess, does that make you my bard or the wise wizard."

"I think I'll take the wizard title. I prefer a beard to singing," she said with a laugh. "Now come here, I want a hug."

Pulling Misato along with him, Shinji gave Mitsuki her hug and Misato one too. Yes, what was once shaping up to be a bad day was looking decidedly better.

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As Rei climbed out of her entry plug she was nearly bowled over by the applause directed her way. Never had she had so many look so happy to see her. It was a novel experience and one she found herself enjoying greatly. In fact, as she saw the wide smiles and energetic waving, the isolated girl felt a warmth form in her chest that was as welcome as it was terrifying.

Though she possessed even less social skills than young Ikari, the slim girl knew enough. It was common practice to return such gestures with a similar one of her own. Like many social mores which others found so effortless, the wave was something that she understood the mechanics of but not the applications. This lack of knowledge contributed greatly to her isolation, for knowledge was power and it would not do to be seen as powerless.

So, as was her custom, Rei planned on not acknowledging the outpouring of emotion. Right before she could move away though, the warmth she felt seemed to travel down her arm and force it to rise up to wave. The cheers, which had died down some with her lack of acknowledgement, increased back to their prior levels of exuberance. Even odder, the renewed cheers only increased the warmth and before she knew it her mouth was turned upwards in a smile.

_"Most interesting,"_ she thought, _"the approval of others evokes such a strong response in me. Perhaps I should make inquires in this subject with Ifurita. She seems capable of explaining such things to me."_

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Of the three pilots, Asuka greeted the cheers with mixed feelings. Though she luxuriated in the praise she craved so desperately, the redheaded girl was once more brought back to the words of her doctor. Were these the exaltations of people who respected her skill with Unit-02 or was it merely a response to the successes of the pilot corp and their armored colleague? For now she decided to believe it was the former, as the latter required too much thought right then.

Still, even as she waved and caroused with the others, Asuka could not help but wonder. It was not until she was a part of a truly collaborative effort that the applause and outpourings of emotion came. Had it not been her there, had it been some other girl or, god forbid, some drooling moron that people laughably called a man, would the crew have cheered as loudly? Did it, as Dr. Wyatt suggest, matter who did the job, just that it was done?

With those questions, and a hundred more like them, slowly chewing at her mind, the passionate young woman found her part in the celebrations to be a reduced one. For though they patted her on the back and congratulated her on a job well done, those around her seemed to keep a measure of distance from her. It was almost as if they could sense her inner turmoil and decided to give the girl her much-needed space.

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Meanwhile, in the Antartic Ocean, a place rendered sterile by the still throbbing wound of Adam's detonation, Gendo Ikari watched a recording of the day's events with none of his accustomed calm. In fact, were there anyone beside Fuyutsuki there to see him, they would have whispered that the normally stoic man seemed to scowl at the screen. Be it a scowl, or just the dark shadows of his surroundings carving deep grooves into his face, the bespectacled man was not happy.

Yet again the scenario had been dealt a contrary blow. An Angel had been defeated largely without the aid of the Evangelions, something the scrolls had deemed impossible. This made two times that the miniature monster had interfered with his carefully laid out plans; at least that he knew of. And to make matters worse, the interloper managed to make itself seem the hero, even after that seemingly fortuitous splitting of the Angel. Instead of a blemish that it would never be able to shake, the object saved the town in such a spectacular fashion that the whole world was a flutter for the newest victor. Even Fuyutsuki, his most trusted ally, had been overheard making favorable remarks towards it.

And then there were the personnel problems. All the carefully laid differing personalities seemed to be evening themselves out. Shinji, who should only be getting worse by this point, was shining with a potency that, had this been a wholly different world, he would have looked at with pride. Sohryu was getting the psychological help she so desperately needed but that he had denied her in Germany. Katsuragi, ever a reliable pawn, was rebuffing the advances of that scruffy moron who thought himself a spy. And even Akagi was showing some disturbing signs of self reliance; something he believed he had wholly screwed out of her.

For a man who was used to being in such firm control of the world around him, the situation was intolerable; not to mention impossible. It was almost as if there were an agency at work who knew of his plans and were actively working to subvert them. This seemed, at least on the surface, highly unlikely given SEELE's fanatical zeal to bring the world under heel. He could not, however, take the chance that the unlikely was also the impossible.

Had he the time, the dark man was sure that he could ferret out the source of these disruptions and dispose of it. Time was not on his side though, and neither were the old men. Sooner or later they would get fed up with him and move to take him out of the equation. And if they didn't the rapidly deteriorating scenario might soon change so much that his solid grip on affairs would unravel, leaving him in the streets like the proverbial emperor with no clothes.

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Author's Notes: Another day gone and another chapter done. I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Once again we have a chapter in time for Pacman's birthday. Though I have not gotten the reviews on this one that I had expected, I continue to write it for his enjoyment. So Happy Birthday little brother!

Now we come to the chapter where things start to really change in the world of Evangelion. Loyalties are shifting, people are changing, and the plan is starting to spin out of control. Going into this chapter the main goal was Shinji's realization of Misato. Its something that we've seen Mitsuki guiding him towards and now he finally gets it, he finally sees the potential to have a romantic relationship with someone. But, with Shinji being Shinji, this revelation is tainted by the knowledge of the vast gulf of time which separates the two.

Asuka is in transition too. As you are no doubt aware, Asuka is always a tricky character for me to work with, since I dislike her so much. That being said, I've been trying to do her the justice that you the reader demand. In regards to her character arc in the story, I view this as the start of her low point. In the next chapter and the one after, we will see her get lower, reach ever closer to the breaking point. But like Mitsuki said, you've got to break her down so you can build her back up, which I promise you, dear readers, will most assuredly happen.

Even Rei has started to change and that is being accomplished by the one character in the story with the largest frame of reference to work from. I realize that it is somewhat expected for the two blue people to converse but, at the same time, it makes sense. Though she lacks the constant power of Ifurita, Rei is a weapon, a tool in one man's sick plans; and to make matters worse she knows it. Like the Demon God, she is bound to Gendo just as surely s Ifurita was bound to the power key staff. So it seems reasonable to have her come under the tutelage of the dimensionally displaced woman.

Well I hope you all liked this one and continue to enjoy the chapters to come, for which there will be many. Until then I am always,

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


	10. One Down

Chaos Lord Productions Brings You.

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Converging Paths

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Written by Chaos Lord

Disclaimer: All entities and devices in this story belong to their respective owners.

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Chapter 10 - One Down

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As he lay in their bed, Mitsuki's warm body pressed lovingly against his, Kazuki could not help but feel awed by the current situation. More than once he'd wondered what it would be like to experience such closeness with a girl. Like with many other things in life, imagination proved to be a poor substitute to the reality of actually having Mitsuki beside him. So good was it in fact that, had he the ability, he would have gone back in time to tell himself to spare everyone a great deal of unnecessary heartache and just ask her to be his girlfriend. Since time travel seemed to be out of even Zinv's power though, Kazuki was content to enjoy what he had.

Speaking of enjoying what he had, their current arrangement brought to mind something else he'd often imagined. Those fevered dreams of imaginary passion were added to by Mitsuki herself. Since they became a couple, even a nascent one, the young woman changed how she dressed for bed. Gone were the pants and in their place were bare legs sticking out from beneath a long shirt. Given his own use of shorts to sleep in, their legs rubbed back and forth against one another in a way which made his head spin and his hormones surge; something he wasn't sure whether she planned or was merely a happy coincidence.

"Mitsuki," he asked softly as he continued to gently run his hand through her hair, "are you awake?"

"Mmm," she purred. Like the man beneath her Mitsuki was finding her current position deeply satisfying. Never had she imagined feeling so happy. At any given moment she felt as if she was on the edge of breaking out into song, so light was her heart right then.

Kazuki smiled down at her. It was weirdly refreshing to hear her sound laid back and peaceful. "Can I ask you a question?"

Something in his voice prickled at the edges of her mind and said, in no uncertain terms, that the coming conversation was one in which she should devote all of her concentration. With barely a sigh of longing for her former position Mitsuki sat up and looked her boyfriend in the eye. "Sure, what's up?"

"I don't want to pressure you or anything, but have you thought about were we go from here," asked Kazuki as he glanced down at where his girlfriend's hand rested on his stomach. It was still within the realm of decency yet low enough to emphasize the need of his question.

The brown-haired teen followed his gaze to where her hand was. Seeing its position made her cheeks turn pink as the full implications of what he asked hit her. _"When did that get there," _she asked herself absently. Even with that internal question, Mitsuki refrained from removing the appendage in question. "Yeah, I have." That was the truth. While the male of the species was more known for their nearly constant focus on sex, it was a simple fact of life that women thought about it too. In fact, the emphasis on the male side was probably a result of female-kind's shifting some of the light off of themselves.

He mentally rolled his eyes with amusement. Even in the midst of a intimate conversation that _he_ started, Mitsuki was still compelled to control things. "Well, were _do_ we go? I mean, have you ever been tempted at all?"

The blush on Mitsuki's face brightened to the point of near-incandescence. With a shy smile she looked down as her hand instinctually gripped his shirt. Though a part of her wished to do nothing more than to lie and play up the good girl angle she pushed that part down. At the very beginning of their relationship she had vowed to be truthful with the man before her, too much of their lives together up until then had been filled with lies and Mitsuki wanted to ensure that what they had would remain apart from that past.

"I'd be lying if I said no." Her smile became a grin when she heard his small gasp at that admission. "Kazuki, every moment we're together I'm tempted. I guess I get that from Ayuko," she said with a chuckle. "Each time we jump dimensions that temptation gets that much harder to ignore. And now that we're together," she whispered, "its nearly impossible."

To hear her say those things brought Kazuki an enormous swell of manly pride. No one had really called him irresistible like that before but it engendered within him another question. "Why," he started hoarsely, "why haven't you tried anything?"

Mitsuki could hear the raw desire in his voice and it almost convinced her to, as Kazuki put it, try anything. The voice of her true mother broke in and, through the tempted young woman, gave him his answer. "I'm not ready yet."

"How do you know," he asked with needing curiosity. Like her, he knew he wasn't ready for anything more than what they were doing but for the life of him he didn't know why.

She looked into his eyes and saw the confusion and desire to understand shifting about there. It was then that Mitsuki knew what her mother must have seen when she asked her that very same question. "Well its like Akane told me. If the person we want is really the one then none of us really know why we hold back. But one day something will snap inside and suddenly there will be no keeping us apart."

"So it's a wait and see thing then," he said with some measurable disappointment.

Shaking her head, the young woman removed her hand from his stomach and placed it over his heart. "No, it's a wait and learn thing, I think. It gives us a chance to learn and love each other as people before we become l-lovers."

Her embarrassment at saying that word was clear, but so to was the sentiment behind it. With a blush of his own, Kazuki reached up and gently placed a hand over his girlfriend's heart. "Okay."

Feeling his hand on her chest made her heart pound so loudly that it sounded like drums in Mitsuki's head. Its thrumming beat rushed through her mind and unlocked one of the doors along the path. "You know," she said as her smile became a tad warmer that it was before, "we may not be ready for everything yet, but that doesn't mean that we're not ready for everything."

He looked up at her thoroughly perplexed, "What does that mean?"

"Well," she said with a hint of mischief, "we can do things like this." Screwing up all of her courage, Mitsuki bent down and placed a soft kiss upon her boyfriend's lips.

On an objective measure of kisses it did not rank high but in his mind the entire cosmos was centered on the place were their lips gently touched. At the intimate gesture a dozen thoughts surged through Kazuki's mind so fast it felt as if reality was spinning out of control. Over it was was the singular observation of the sweetness of her lips.

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With only the light of the outside lights to illuminate the room, Shinji stared up at the ceiling of the place Misato had set aside for him. The softness of the bed brought no remedy to the emotions swirling in his mind. Since that singular moment of revelation during the last mission briefing, the young man's mind had been in a state of turmoil regarding his violet-haired guardian. At war with one another was the romantic love he held for her and the certain knowledge that she could never love someone like him in the manner he wished. To make matters worse, just when everything evened out in his mind some image of Misato would pop up to bring chaos to the order.

Groaning with frustration, Shinji rolled onto his side. There on the nightstand, illuminated by a shaft of light, was a picture of him and Misato Mitsuki took at one of their parties. Slowly he reached out and ran a finger along the smooth lines of her smiling face. "How did I not see you like this before," he asked as his hand yearned to gently cup the real face that picture portrayed. No reply came from the still lips he longed to kiss but he drew solace from the brilliant smile she'd directed towards the camera as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

Absently, his finger drifted down to circle the curves of her chest as it practically lept from the confines of her loose tee shirt. He'd noticed them before, of course. With the way she dressed around the apartment it was impossible to miss those expansive orbs. There were times when he wondered whether or not she was trying to tease him by wearing such provocative clothing. Before his revelation he'd always look away from her when her chest was particularly exposed. Now, he had to work hard to look away instead of admiring the view like he desired. "At least I now know why Toji and Kensuke keep saying why I'm so lucky to live with you," he chuckled.

That amusement didn't last long however and soon enough his face was once again showing his inner turmoil. "But is it really luck or just another way the universe can kick me in the face," he asked of the picture. Yes, it was true he loved having Misato in his life, she'd done so much to help hime since they'd first met. And yet he could not shake the knowledge that, no matter how he felt, all she saw him as was a brother or possible a son. Even with all the good which had come into his life as of late, Shinji could not shake the feeling that Misato's feelings on the matter were merely the shoelace which heralded the other shoe's descent.

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Shinji's view of the situation would not have been so pessimistic had he known what Misato was up to at that particular moment in time. Like him, she was conflicted with regards to her feelings for the young man. But where Shinji wallowed in misery and contemplated the general unfairness of creation, the long-haired Major took a more energetic route to work out her feelings.

Behind a barricaded door she laid beneath covers, their thick bulk hiding her naked body. Sweat rolled in sheets off her flushed flesh as her hands moved with expert precision. In her mind those slim hands probing every inch of her body were not her own but instead belonged to the wonderful young man down the hall. With deft skill mind-Shinji drove her on to ever greater heights of ecstasy and just when she thought she could stand the pleasure no more he sent her tumbling into one mind-blowing orgasm after another. The current one she was building to looked to be the greatest of the night and she was sure it would leave her screaming until her throat went raw. Luckily she'd taken the precaution of placing gag on herself to make sure the real Shinji didn't come to help.

Had he, or anyone else for that matter, been there to see her at that moment he would've noticed how her face was warped with the pleasure from her activities. Along with the pleasure there was something else marring the woman's visage, tears. An outsider may have mistaken them as an additional outpouring of pleasure but they would have been wrong. Only someone inside Misato's mind could have known that the tears were the product of an immense sadness. A sadness born of her inability to really have Shinji in the room with her, caressing her body, loving her like her soul so desperately desired.

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It was a bright Sunday in Tokyo 3 that saw Makoto and Ifurita walking happily through the sprawling metropolis. Today was not the first day they decided to go out among the people of this new world but it was the first that they walked with such purpose. Ifurita had made a promise and now she was going to keep it.

"So this woman we're going to meet," prompted Makoto.

"Mrs. Tanaka."

"Right. Do you see her often?" He could, if he so desired, pluck the information right of her mind, the bond allowed such things quite easily. It was by mutual agreement however that he refrained from doing so. There was something about talking, some primal link to all their yesterdays, which made it the form of communication they used the most.

Ifurita nodded happily, "Yes. She works at the shop were I purchase our food and other supplies."

"So why do I have to meet her? That part I'm still confused about." Confused as he may be, Makoto didn't object to the outing. He'd stop the world just to spend an eternity at her side, so a walk was in no way even a minor inconvenience.

"She asked to meet you and I said I would bring you to her when I could, Besides, you needed to get away from grading tests, if only for a little while." It was something which unnerved her, the constant work which came with her love's job. The others, Mitsuki and Misato, seemed to leave their work at work. By some perverse process however, Makoto's work seemed to follow him where ever he might roam. Such things in her opinion were not healthy, especially as it seemed to needlessly stress him.

Makoto wholeheartedly agreed with her desire to get him away from tests. But instead of commenting on it he simply smiled and tightened his grip on her hand slightly. "What's she like?"

"Nice, very warm. She always has a smile whenever I come in. Though you should be ready to get yelled at," she said with a grin.

Hearing her playful tone told him that he needn't fear any serious attack, but it still drew his curiosity. "Me? Why?"

"I don not think she is pleased with me doing all our shopping."

"You did explain to her that it's hard to shop _and_ teach, right? I mean, I'd love to be able to do more but it's kinda hard." Already he'd been beating himself up for leaving her with a big part of the house work, the last thing Makoto thought he wanted was to hear someone else speak those same condemnations.

"Yes," she said as she let go of his hand and wrapped her arm around his waist, "I told her and she approved. I just think she may joke with you some. She seems to like joking with people, though it always seems to be good natured."

"Well that I can handle," he said as he slid an arm around her waist as well. "After five years around Shayla-Shayla you learn how to take a joke."

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Across town from the happy couple, Asuka and Hikari were out and about. Their school was doing a food drive to help some of the local families whose homes had been damaged or destroyed by some of the Angel attacks. While it was true that the government provided relief for the displaced, the Class Representative had reached the conclusion that it was their duty as citizens, and as humans, to help their neighbors in their time of need. So both girls were wandering the streets between shops and homes handing out flyers and informing people where they could leave their donations.

As they went about their work Hikari kept looking at her friend in concern. Though neither of them appreciated walking around in Tokyo 3's perpetual heat Asuka looked especially downtrodden. More than that there was something off about her appearance, it was almost as if something was missing. It had been nagging at her mind for several days now and for the life of her she couldn't reach a conclusion. Suddenly she realized what was wrong with the picture. Upon retrospect it was so obvious that she had to hit herself in the head for being so inattentive.

"You all right, Hikari," asked Asuka wryly. After all, it wasn't as if the girl went around hitting herself all the time.

Though the was blushing so deeply her freckles appeared to be a solid mass the pig-tailed girl pressed on. "Your hair clips are missing."

Intellectually she knew that her A-10 nerve connectors were not on her head, she'd left them in her quarters on purpose. Even still, Asuka instinctually reached up to feel for missing devices. "Oh yeah. Someone asked me not to wear them for a few days."

The somebody in question was the aggravatingly insightful Dr. Wyatt. In that annoying, yet astute, way of his he'd suggested that she wore the clips as if they were some sort of ceremonial totem. He contented that a part of her viewed them as crown by which she could lord her power over others; even if was merely a silent statement of said power. At the time his words upset her, though most attacks directed at anything remotely pilot related normally did.

Even more aggravating was the disconcerting ring of truth his words possessed. Looking back on things she _had_ viewed the clips as something of a crown. When they were perched on her head she felt stronger, more confident, better than all those around her. Back in Germany everyone knew of her status as a pilot and they gave her the respect she deserved . . . or at least the respect she _thought_ she deserved. Here no one knew who she was beyond being the new transfer student, for them the clips meant nothing. In fact, more than once she'd overheard one person or another call them cyber cat ears. Some even wondered if she was some cosplay fetishist for gott's sake!

It was that, more than Gordon Gordon's ideas, got her to stop wearing the clips, if only temporarily. Since she first took them off three days ago Hikari was the first person her own age who had commented on their absence. To be so far removed from the center of attention that it took even her best friend so long to notice was a further blow to her pride and another bit of proof that her doctor was right in saying that she was worth no more or less than anyone else.

Hikari could hear that there was more to the request than her friend was letting on but refrained from inquiring. "You know, while a little variety is a good thing I think your hair looked better pulled back like it was."

Asuka fingered her hair self-consciously, "I agree but I think the person I made the promise to wouldn't want me to use them again just yet."

She gave her friend's hair a closer look while thinking of something she could do to help. After a few moments an idea came to mind, "I've got an idea. Why don't we do a loose braid running along the sides of your head and have them meet in the back while the rest of your hair stays free?"

The redhead though about what her friend described for a few seconds before breaking out into a wide smile, "That's a great idea Hikari! We just need to make sure its something I can do on my own. I do a lot of swimming and I need to be able to fix it."

Happy to see her friend's mood improve so greatly, Hikari nodded eagerly. "Sure! Let's finish this block and the we can head to my place to work something out."

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Standing out in the heat of the day, Shinji stared at the door before him with fear in his belly. In a way, what he was about to do scared him more than facing down his father. Unlike his father though, he couldn't run away from this. He was going insane from the maelstrom of emotions within him and needed to find an anchor before the storm totally consumed him. Misato was out of the question, she was the high pressure system that had collided with his low pressure life. That only left Mitsuki to confide in and he had no idea how she would react.

In the last moments before he could totally puss out Shinji, his hand shaking, reached out and rung the bell on Mitsuki's apartment. He didn't have to wait long and soon enough the door slid open to reveal a slightly disheveled Kazuki. "Um, hi," he lamely muttered to the older man.

"Shinji," asked Kazuki with a hint of surprise. Seeing the morose cloud hovering around his young friend he cast aside any thoughts of continuing his prior activities in favor for helping Shinji out. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes," he blurted hastily. "I mean no. C-can I talk to Mitsuki?" Though he wasn't particularly masculine, Shinji felt that talking about his feelings with another man went against some primal manliness.

The older teen nodded, "Sure," he said a tad louder than was needed, "Mitsuki's inside, Shinji." In light of their prior actions he didn't want Mitsuki to be caught by their company in a less than favorable manner.

Giving his friend a curious look, Shinji walked into the apartment and headed towards the living room. Either Mitsuki would be there when he arrived or she would be soon. Sure enough the young woman was sitting on the couch looking completely at ease. "H-hi Mitsuki."

Mitsuki smiled at her young friend happily. Even though his untimely arrival had interrupted some couples time she and Kazuki were sharing she wasn't about to act coldly to the shy teen. "Hello Shinji. How a you today?"

"Um, okay. I guess. Can we talk, in private," he asked with a concerned glance back towards Kazuki.

Seeing his worried look Mitsuki frowned internally. "That shouldn't be a problem, should it, Kazuki?"

Said man was staring at his girlfriend incredulously. Mitsuki only had a few moments of warning yet she was immaculate, as if their passionate kissing never happened. But instead of trying to figure out his girlfriend, Kazuki nodded dutifully. "Not at all. I needed to hit the market anyway. You two try to stay out of trouble, okay." Then, acting purely on a whimsical impulse, he stepped forward and gave her a quick kiss. Something which, gratefully, caused her to blush mightily.

She watched him leave the room with a goofy smile on her face. It wasn't until the front door closed that she was able to break herself free of his kiss' spell. Blushing now from embarrassment, Mitsuki turned back to Shinji and patted the seat next to her. "Here, sit down."

He happily obliged her and was soon sitting as comfortably as his troubled emotions would allow. "Thanks."

"Now, what seems to be the trouble?"

The young man opened his mouth to speak but when nothing came out he shook his head and stood. "Maybe I should go."

"Nah ah," admonished Mitsuki as she pulled her young friend back into his seat. "You came for a reason, so tell me what's bothering you."

Shinji sat there for several minutes as he gathered his nerve. "It . . . it's Misato," he finally said.

"What about her," she asked while trying to hide her enthusiasm.

"You're probably going to think I'm a pervert or something but I think I l-love her." Though he was sure that she would look upon him poorly, just saying those words out loud lifted a huge weight off his young shoulders.

Inside, a little Mitsuki was doing cartwheels and cheers as fireworks went off in the distance. On the outside she tried to suppress her giddiness, though some did manage to leak out. "I don't see why you wouldn't."

Of all the responses he could have heard, that was certainly not on his list. "What? You mean you don't think I'm a pervert?"

"Shinji, Shinji," she faux admonished. "Why on earth would I think that about you? You are a good-hearted, able-bodied, young man, I'd be surprised if you didn't have some kind of feelings for Misato, That you love her makes that much more sense."

He looked at her with complete astonishment. "You're okay with me having feelings for her?"

"Why wouldn't I be," giggled Mitsuki. "Shinji, every day older men fall for much younger women and society doesn't blink. It'd be hypocritical to then yell at a younger man for dating an older woman. The only thing I'd suggest is that you take it slow with her. You've both been through a lot and going too fast can only hurt you both."

"You don't think I actually have a chance with her, do you?" Even though he hoped the answer was a resounding yes his internal pessimism repeatedly said no.

Though she knew that Misato was in love with him, Mitsuki kept that little bit of information to herself. "Who knows," she shrugged. "Only she can say that. All I can tell you is that you should give her the opportunity to say yes or no." It was cruel, she knew, but these sorts of things needed to be handled with care. If she pushed them together they might just fly apart again. It was up to them now, they were caught up in each other and whether they'd fuze into a wondrous whole or explode climatically was theirs to decide. All she could do was lend an ear when need be.

It wasn't what he hoped for but it also wasn't the answered he feared. All told it was pretty good and he'd just have to take what he got. "So go slow and give her a chance. Is that what you're saying?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"You know," he laughed, "when I say it, it sounds so simple."

Mitsuki nodded as she leaned forward, "Yeah, it does. But just because it sounds simple doesn't make it so. Relationships are naturally difficult, it's when people forget that fact that things start falling apart. Even though we love each other, Kazuki and I have to work hard to maintain what we have while building for our future. And yeah, there will be bumps along the way. One of you will say or do something that hurts the other, that's only natural. The key is to never stop talking."

Shinji felt as if someone had shoved a large stone in his throat and though he swallowed deeply it obstinately stayed in place. _"How am I going to do that,"_ he mentally groaned. Opening up to people at all was a nearly insurmountable challenge. What Mitsuki described sounded practically impossible. Maybe it was the universe's way of saying that he should quit while he was ahead. Before he could step down that path too far though an image of his father inexplicably popped in his head. The man's stoney visage stared down at him as a silent monument to the ramifications of eschewing relationships. He may not want to be challenged but he wanted to be his father even less.

"Okay, Mitsuki," he said slowly. "I'll do that. And . . . thanks."

She smiled and put a hand on his, "You're welcome. And feel free to come and talk to me whenever you need to."

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The water pouring across her pale skin was positively scalding, a stark contrast to the frigid temperatures of her shower. Rei Ayanami minded neither the cold nor the heat, both were mere distractions. All that mattered was the mission. If ordered to she'd gladly sacrifice her life in furtherance of the cause, though a part of her was pleased that such a thing had not yet been requested.

As of late, this desire to live was an anomaly in her thought processes. Though she had not reported the development to the Commander, it churned through her thoughts nonetheless. By her reckoning all this began once she met Ikari. For some reason he sparked unfathomable desires within her. It vexed her that she could not quickly analyze and compartmentalize those desires and it led to the first instances of self-preservation. These were only bolstered by her interactions with Ifurita and Mr. Mizuhara. More so than any other she had encountered those two were capable of sliding through all the barriers she erected to keep others out; a frightening yet wholly welcome experience.

"I swear," commented a voice from the next stall over, "I think this whole place is staffed by a bunch of perverts. I never had to get naked for my Unit-02."

_"There _do_ appear to be some benefits to an end to my existence,"_ thought Rei as the voice of Pilot Soryu grated across her surroundings. While it was true that she and the red-head interacted quite infrequently, something about her made the bluenette highly uncomfortable. "Perhaps the staff at the German branch were subpar," she commented dryly, "Doctor Akagi _is_ recognized as one of the foremost leaders in man-machine interface technology." The sputtered outrage was more muted than she expected, still Rei found it most satisfactory.

A chuckle sounded over the intercom. "Okay, that's enough you two. Asuka, the cameras in the isolation zone have been turned off for your privacy. None of us can see you."

Asuka snorted with derision. Although she'd not felt like herself in some time, at that particular moment she believed she was on a solid mental footing. Gordon Gordon might have her all twisted up about piloting but she still knew what was and wasn't appropriate. "Sure, _you_ can't see us. But what about Shinji? He's in here naked along side of us."

Standing in the final stall, Shinji tried very hard not to think about the two very naked girls nearby. Things got even worse when his efforts kept substituting a nude Misato for Rei and Asuka. In a desperate move, the young man conjured up some mental ice water in the form of his father. The man wasn't _au naturel_, he didn't need to be, just the thought of the man was enough to cool any amorous thoughts he may have. "I've got an idea."

Doctor Akagi's sigh could be heard through the speakers, "Such as?"

"I'll go first and once I'm in my entry plug Rei and Asuka can get in theirs," he offered helpfully.

In her stall Asuka put her hands on her hips, thrust out her still-developing chest, and nodded with authority. "Excellent idea thir . . . uh, I mean, Shinji." That was something else Gordon Gordon brought to her attention. Just as her nerve clips were a way for her to rise above those around her so too was her use of titles as opposed to people's names. And the problem with that was, once she thought about it some, it made a lot of sense.

"Great," said Ritsuko sarcastically. "Now can we _please_ get on track?"

"Sure. I'm heading to the simulation body now."

As the naked male made his way towards the testing chamber he was blissfully unaware of the small cluster of cells which were ensconced nearby. They started as a speck no bigger than a grain of sand, something which went ignored by the workmen when this part of the facility was hastily completed months ago. Stuck to the side of a steel support beam the cells sat quietly, never moving, never dividing, merely waiting. Eight of its brothers and sisters had gone before it, each perishing before they could rescue the All-Father. Now it was Iruel's turn and when the nearby abominations came to life it awoke with a thirst for retribution.

000000000

Elsewhere in the fortress city of Tokyo 3, the former Demon God Ifurita went about her day's business. Clad in stylish jeans and a white blouse, the pale woman hummed a merry tune while sweeping the apartment she shared with her dearest Makoto. For so long death was both her weapon and companion, it hung about her like an oppressive cloak which sought to choke the life out of her. Against such a thing the drudgery of life was a wondrous shield keeping the terrors of the past at bay.

So consumed was she with the sedate moment that Ifurita nearly missed the buzzing of a sub-program. It was one she'd instituted soon after arriving in this world. Instead of going to a terminal and hoping that, at that particular moment, a hole would open in the MAGI's defenses, she left the program in place to monitor the system. Since installing the program it had little indications of even the smallest of cracks in the defenses. Since, that is, this very instant.

With the way suddenly opened, Ifurita dove into the computer system at the speed of thought. There was no way to know how long this hole would be opened and she was determined to make the most of it. To her senses the MAGI appeared as a massive web whose dark and sickly tendrils wrapped around anything and everything on the planet. Her thoughts were like a brilliant light burning a path through the darkness, it was a path she could use again should she ever desire to return to such a terrible place.

There was something else in the system, a mind comprised of a vast multitude. It sought to consume and convert all it touched in an effort to achieve its goal. Luckily it was so totally dedicated to its mission that it ignored Ifruita for what it considered to be the more pressing threat. So it was that, as the two titans did battle along silicon pathways, the ex-Demon God was able to peer beneath NERV's mask and see the malignant tumor at its heart. She'd wanted to know the truth about this world and now that she had the knowledge Ifurita wanted to be rid of it. But while she could not purge herself of the horrors lurking deep within the personal files of Gendo Ikari, she _could_ give herself a measure of relief.

From across the room the Power Key Staff flew into the woman's waiting hand. Even as her weapon moved towards her, Ifurita stormed across the apartment with dreadful purpose. As she moved the nano-machines reconstructed her clothing into the battle suit which plagued the nightmares of all those fortunate enough to survive an encounter with her. Before, when she killed an Angel, the blue-haired woman wept for the life she took. Today, as she took the skies of Tokyo 3, Ifurita felt no sadness, no shame, just the singular desire to kill. There were monsters on this planet more fearsome, and loathsome, than any Angel. And since the agencies of man knew nothing of those terrors a higher power was required.

As she flew into the sky there was no EM jamming, no active camouflage, only a vibration of air molecules before her face. Ifurita did not want to conceal her approach, she wanted to strike terror into the hearts of her victims. For the first time in ten thousand years the Demon God Ifurita was on the hunt and woe be to any who stood in her way.

000000000

A ring of menacing black monoliths hovered above the curve of the Earth. The only hint to their identity or purpose was the name SEELE scrawled across the top of each black rectangle and beneath that a number ranging between zero and twelve. Down below the unholy conclave, the people went about their business without a clue as to the dark dealings happening above them.

Of course, the monoliths weren't really there. The only thing that high above Earth was a simple monitor satellite hovering in geosynchronous orbit. Its high-powered camera supplied the planetary vista for each of the SEELE member's enjoyment. In reality, the planet and the menacing rectangles were all holographic creations for the twelve men who comprised the committee.

Though the black stones were undoubtedly meant to convey an image of silent power to all who laid eyes upon them, in reality they merely illustrated how sad they were. Each had more control over the fates of man than any human before them yet every one was afraid of the others, an irony given their future desires. Only one of those in attendance knew all the names of their fellows and that was the face hiding behind the double zeroes. While someone might have tried to make a joke linking him to a certain fictional spy, the reality was that the moniker was a testament to how truly worthless he was.

"It appears as if the next messenger has begun its assault," said 03.

From 10 came an irritated grumble, "Something tells me Ikari will try and pass this current outage as nothing but another drill."

The drill in question referred to SEELE's recent sabotage of the Japan NERV facility. Admittedly the timing of that particular operation had not been salutatory but it amused 00 to hear Ikari's explanation to the U.N.. "Undoubtedly. Let us just hope there are no further interruptions to the scenario."

"Yes," said 04, "they have been most . . . what's that? What the hell are you, ahrg!" To the nondescript horror of the other faceless blocks, 04 suddenly faded away. Below, on the representation of Earth, a bright light suddenly appeared in southern Japan before vanishing several moments later.

Although none of their number was aware of what had just befallen 04, there was not a single soul among them who did not feel an icy spike of fear pierce their heart. At the same time, each member of the Committee had the inexplicable feeling that the destiny they all worked so hard for had taken a sudden turn for the worse.

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"_In continuing news, reports are coming in of a massive explosion in Shizuoka prefecture near Mt. Aino. Eyewitness accounts describe a fireball nearly two kilometers in height. Luckily the remote location of the explosion's center limited damage to nearby cities, though there are reports of minor injuries from falling items as a result of quakes. The question remains, how and why did this largely unpopulated region suddenly erupt into a hellish maelstrom?_"

"I can't believe a blast that big wasn't another Angel," said Shinji as he listened to the news report coming from the radio.

Sitting in the driver's seat of the Alpine Renault, Misato waved her hand frantically. "Shh! You don't want to summon one of them, do you?" After sitting on the sidelines while the science types killed the last Angel, the violet-haired woman wasn't too keen on having another attack so soon. "Let's just enjoy the ride, okay," she asked softly while hazarding a quick touch on Shinji's arm.

When it became clear that it was up to Ritsuko and Maya to save their asses, Mitsuki had suggested that they assemble a team to go out and rescue the pilots. Being the Operations Director, and guardian to one of the pilots, Misato eagerly agreed. Even with the computers down, it didn't take long to navigate a route to the outside. If the power had been out it could've taken days but as it was the manuals all still worked. It was when they reached the three naked teens that Misato got sight of something which was sure to add fuel to the fires of her dreams.

Based on how he looked that first night out of the shower, she'd always imagined being with Shinji in terms of skill and longevity, not size. Though nowhere near a slut, Misato had been with enough men over the years to know what was really important in the bedroom so such thoughts weren't an issue. Now, after seeing him when he exited the simulation plug, the woman had to rethink the size equation. _"Either he's had one hell of a growth spurt or there was some serious shrinkage going on back then,"_ she thought with some amount of awe.

Feeling those slim fingers on the bare skin of his arm sent shivers running up and down his spine. "T-that sounds good." Even as he enjoyed the pleasurable sensations his mind drifted to the moment he left the plug. He'd been thinking about things then too and he only hoped that Misato hadn't noticed anything.

Even with her going at a more sedate pace, the drive didn't last much longer. Soon enough Misato pulled her prized vehicle into its spot and turned off the motor. Casting a quick smile Shinji's way, she got out of the car. As she turned to face the building her smile froze before quickly falling. A heartbeat later the Major was running, her gun out and the safety off.

Though he didn't know what exactly was wrong, Shinji ran after Misato without reservation. He might have come to Tokyo 3 a coward but when the woman he had feelings for went running headlong into a potentially dangerous situation then he'd be damned if he wasn't there to back her up. That conviction faded somewhat when he saw that it was Ifurita and Makoto's door she kicked in.

Misato couldn't believe what she had seen but in the military they train you to see everything right the first time. What she saw in the moments after leaving her car was a flying woman. Though its back had been facing her, the blue hair and axe-staff undoubtedly belonged to Ifurita. And seeing as only an Angel could fly, Misato reached the obvious conclusion and went in ready for a fight. When she turned the corner into living room the Major came found the staff pointed in her face and Ifurita's cold eyes staring at her. In those eyes she saw only death and for the first time since she started down this path she questioned the sanity of her actions.

From behind came a voice which sent a spike of betrayal through Misato's soul. "Can't we all just get along?"

"Mitsuki," she said with a strangled sob. "N-not you too."

"Misato," said the young brunette sadly as she moved to stand beside Ifurita, "please, it's going to be okay."

She moved her gun's barrel between the two women as her mind tried to come to grips with recent events. "And why should I trust you? Huh," she screeched. "You've been lying to us for months now! Who are you working for?"

Her hands still up, Mitsuki shook her head. "No, you don't understand. Other than where we came from is the god's honest truth. We didn't want to lie to you, we just had to fudge some details otherwise your government would have locked us up and destroyed our way home."

"And just where do Angels call home," roared Misato. So furious was she, there was so much pain in her heart, that her words were punctuated with angry spittle. "Because _she_ is certainly not human. What about you, eh Mitsuki? Where do I have to shoot you to find your core?"

"None of us are Angels," retorted Mitsuki desperately. She knew all too well how much her friend hated the Angels. The quicker she pushed those ideas out of Misato's mind the better. "Think about it, Ritsuko gave me a full physical right after I joined NERV. Would she've let me walk around if I was an Angel?"

That little piece of logic pierced the haze of pain surrounding her mind. "N-no, she wouldn't. But what about her," she asked while pointing the barrel of her weapon towards Ifurita. "I _saw_ her flying. Nothing human can do that."

Ifurita cast an apologetic glance Mitsuki's way before moving her staff to her side. "You are correct. I am not human. I was made countless eons ago by the ancients of a world called El Hazard. I am the Demon God Ifurita and I would like it, if you should so wish, to be your friend."

Shinji heard all he needed to. Though there were some things he didn't know about them, they were still his family and now he needed to work to make things right. Moving from Misato's side, he reached out and put a hand on her arm. "Come on Misato, it's going to be all right. Let's listen to what they have to say."

Even as she let him push her arm down, Misato stared into Shinji's eyes. In their depths she saw a strength of conviction that made her legs weak. Right then she knew that she could trust his instincts even if hers were in doubt. "Okay," she said while flipping on her gun's safety. Like lightning Misato whipped her head around to pin Mitsuki with her gaze, "You're getting your chance. Say something I don't like and I start shooting. Got it?"

Mitsuki swallowed nervously at the unmistakable promise of pain in her friend's voice. Even with Ifurita at her side, she mentally put her money on Misato. "Got it. And I promise, everything from hereon will be the truth."

"It better. Shinji, be a dear and get me a drink. Something tells me I'm going to need it."

"Sure," smiled the young man. "What about you guys?"

"Water," chimed the two women as they sat on the nearby couch.

A few minutes later saw the three women, and one young man, all seated and nursing their various drinks. Nervous glances filled the air with a certain tension which was only pierced by the occasional sips taken by those in attendance. Finally, as the silence became too much to bear, Mitsuki sighed and placed her drink on the nearby table. "I guess this all started, for me at least, when Kazuki was having visions of another world . . . "

Over the next few hours Misato and Shinji listened to a series of tales so amazing that they strained the bounds of credulity. In fact, both of them would have probably long since dismissed it all as nothing but bunk if it weren't for the fact that Ifurita had flown around the room and they both knew more about the armored form, now known as Zinv, than anyone else. That Makoto and Kazuki were able to add further depth to the story when they arrived only increased the believability quotient.

By the time all the stories had reached their end Misato found herself no longer wanting to shoot the people before her, quite the opposite in point of fact. Ever since she'd met them the violet-haired woman always felt as if there was some dark secret hiding beneath their pleasant surface. It had been her, apparently erroneous, thought that said secret had something to do with their time in the wilds. There were many things which happened beyond the bounds of civilization and it was always her fear that one of them had been forced to kill someone for their own survival. Luckily those fears proved to be largely false, though in Ifurita's case they were actually lacking in severity. Still, one question yet to be answered.

"What I don't get is why, after all your work keeping everything secret, did you take the risk of flying out in the open."

Mitsuki looked at her blue-haired friend with a similar look of confusion. "Yes, I was wondering about that too."

Over the course of their talks Ifurita had felt herself emotionally leaving the dark feelings which had possessed her earlier in the day. With her friends' question all of it came back and she felt a block of ice form around her heart that not even Makoto's presence could melt. "Tell me Misato, what do you know of SEELE?"

The Major cocked her head as she tried to wrack her brain for a mention of whatever it was she as being asked. Something in the way the question was asked engendered a feeling of dread within her and she did her best to produce any information she could. In all of her searches, however, only a single instance came to mind, "Um, I know it's 'soul' in German but that's it."

"SEELE," spat the Demon God with disgust, "is the organization behind all of this. The Angels, the Second Impact, the EVAs, NERV, and everything else going on, SEELE is in the center of it all. They are a group of short-sighted fools who wish for the total destruction and enslavement of mankind. Each of them wishes to become a god in the new world order and today I showed one of their number the foolishness of such a goal."

"It was you, wasn't it," asked Shinji with a not small amount of fear. "You were the one who caused that explosion in Shinzuoka, weren't you?" When he heard what she had done on El Hazard his horror had been tempered by the knowledge that her actions were the result of another's wishes. The devastation she wrought upon this world though, that was another matter entirely.

Ifurita saw the fear in her young friend's eyes and it made her heart ache. Shinji was the last person she wished to have fear her, yet it was there all the same. "Yes, that was me. One of the SEELE council was there and I ended him, as I will end their entire band. Already their schemes have caused the deaths of half this world's population. In time they will see the rest burn as well. Their power within your bureaucracy is too great to simply oust from their positions. What is required is an outside force willing and able to dispatch each and every one of their insidious group."

From her position near Shinji, Misato could see that he was getting ready to object. Before he could she took his hand in her own and looked him in the eyes. For a moment Misato had to smirk at the change in stances. Just a short while ago it had been her who wanted to tear into them and it was Shinji who stopped her, now it was her turn to make him see the light. "She's right Shinji."

"But she's talking about killing people," he countered with the moral certainty that such things were wrong.

"I know she is. But if what she is saying about these SEELE people are true, then she's right." Seeing that he was about to refute her, she put a finger on his lips. "I mean it Shinji. You weren't even born yet when the Second Impact happened but _I_ was at ground zero. I saw Adam rise above Antarctica before exploding. That, and the aftermath of that day, was so terrible that I didn't talk for years. I'd always blamed the Angels for it all but if I'd known it was a group of people who did it then you can bet your ass that I, and a whole bunch more people, would have been out there hunting them down. If Ifurita can kill SEELE then it's in everyone's best interests to let her."

"Y-you were really there?"

"Yes," she nodded sadly. Taking his hand, Misato moved it over a spot she could find even with her eyes closed. "Here. This is the scar I got that day." Not even the immense intimacy of having him touch her was enough to banish the darkness which accompanied that blemish. As he absently ran his fingers across the scar, she tilted his head up to face her, "Do you want them to hurt anyone else like this?"

Consumed by horror and arousal, Shinji shook his head sadly. "No. You're right. They've got to go." Though he knew it was the right thing to do, killing even one person still seemed wrong to him.

Ifurita caught the reluctant tone to his words and stepped over to him. Kneeling before her friend with imploring eyes, she said, "Believe me Shinji, if I thought there was any other way, I would gladly take it. Killing people, even ones as odious as SEELE, does not appeal to me. But think of it this way, each and every member of SEELE is like President Clark. They would rather see the world burn than let anyone else chart its destiny. And like Clark, should the authorities come for them it is probable that they would take their own life. None of these men will ever see the justice they deserve, so I will met it out on behalf of their victims."

At first he didn't want to acknowledge her, what she suggested was beyond the pale in his mind. When she mentioned Clark however, the remnants of his disgust vanished. He'd see those episodes too many times to want to actually live them. "A-are you sure there isn't another way," though asked, Shinji already knew the answer. Just as with the fictional Clark, there was only one way to end this.

"I'm sure," she answered with sad resolution.

Sitting as straight as he could, Shinji looked down into the expectant eyes of his friend. "Then stop them. Make sure the Earth stays un-scorched."

Gripping his free hand tightly she said, "I will."

And he knew she would. After the stories she told them there was no way Ifurita could fail in this. That did not mean however, that he wished for her to do it on her own. "I want to help."

From across the room Kazuki shook his head, "No Shinji. You're a pilot, you need to keep battling the Angels until they stop coming."

"Kazuki is right, Shinji," added Ifurita. "For right now the greater threat is the Angels. Only once they have been defeated will the Committee strike and by then I will have hopefully taken care of them."

"So you're telling me that all I can do is wait," asked Shinji with an unconscious pout. That was something a lot of people were asking him to do. There was a time when he'd happily wait for the ending of the world. Now the idea of waiting around doing nothing was becoming increasingly unpleasant.

Kazuki smiled grimly. "Believe me Shinji, I know how you're feeling. Waiting for the next battle is one of the hardest things to do but it's also one of the most important."

Misato once again took the young man's hand, "He's right. In the military they can train you for everything but the wait. That's something you have to learn for yourself."

Though he didn't like it, Shinji deferred to the experience of those who knew better. "Okay, okay," he sighed dramatically. "I'll fight the giant monsters while you guys worry about the shadowy bad guys."

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Of all the secrets laid bare, all the truths told, Ifurita kept one to herself. Only her dearest Makoto knew the hidden truth surrounding one individual. It was thanks to his power that he had lived her life and through the experience could see the world as she did.

No one deserved to be made into a weapon, especially not without their informed consent. To gladly go out and sacrifice one's life because another built you to do so is a terrible thing. Even more so is the moment when you realize that all that you have done in another's name was nothing but a lie.

For a while now Ifurita had wondered why she felt such kinship with the perpetually disheveled Rei Ayanami. Now, in light of the information she liberated from the MAGI, the former Demon God knew why. Rei was, lamentably, herself only at the beginning of her long descent into horror. Only Rei's path was worse than hers because the poor girl could not even know the blessed release of death. Fortunately, it was a path Ifurita was committed to diverting her from.

Standing before the dirty door to Rei's apartment, Ifurita stared at the numbers with a not so small sense of apprehension. Though she was much better than the bad old days, the woman was well aware of her limitations with regards to conversation skills. Befriending the girl, steering her away from the fate Ikari had in store for her, would require such abilities in abundance. Under normal circumstances this was something Makoto would be perfect for but there was nothing normal about this and Ifurita _had_ to do it on her own. She was so consumed with her examination of Rei's door that she actually gasped when it suddenly opened.

Rei blinked, her version of surprise, to see the compelling woman standing before her door. It had been her intention to engage in her daily exercises, a walk followed by laps in the NERV pool. She certainly never intended to have a visitor. Furthermore she found herself confused as to her own emotions on the matter. Of all those who could have appeared at her doorstep Ifurita was on a very short list of those whose presence she did not mind.

"Ifurita, why are you here?"

The blue-haired woman smiled, "If you are not busy, I thought we could talk."

Pilot Ayanami quirked her head, "For what purpose?"

"You remind me of myself when I was . . . younger."

"Somehow I doubt that," said Rei with serious detachment. After all, who else out there was a creation of another. No one could know what it was like to live one's life solely for another's purpose.

Had she not been in the possession of certain information Ifurita would have never dared argue lives with anyone. Every person, in her admittedly limited experience, was different and to assume they were all the same was as foolhardy as it was insulting. But in Rei she could see herself. Superimposed over the mop of blue hair was her own elegant tresses. The poor girl even had the same resolute fires dancing in her eyes that Makoto had seen in within her. "You are always the outsider," she started knowingly. "Among a crowd you do not know what to do. The actions of others are as fascinating as they are painful. And even as that pain assails you, you do not know why it is there. Am I close?"

The question was, ultimately, superfluous. Rei's face telegraphed every ounce of surprise she felt in startling high-definition. Others had tried this in the past. They would speak on how they 'knew' what it was like to be her. Inevitably every one of them were wildly off the mark. Not so with the woman standing before her. And it was not just the words, though those had a certain ring of understanding about them as well. There was a certain quality to her voice, a tonality that Rei could not easily quantify, which reached into her and sparked something within her. "How?"

"Like I said," smiled Ifurita warmly, "you remind me of myself."

Where once doubt reigned within her small frame, now Rei heard those words and understood how true they were. Somehow, by some working of fate which was unimaginable to her, Ifurita _did_ know her. Obviously the increasingly intriguing woman could not know anything about her purpose, but she possessed a knowledge of the person inside her earthly shell. "S-so I see. This pain you speak of . . . does it ever fade?"

"I can not speak for others, but for me it has." And oh how it had fled from her. Thanks to Makoto the way was opened and in this place everyone around her seemed to flow in and sooth a little bit more of that monstrous agony.

For the first time in her entire existence Rei felt a spark of something form within the depths of her soul. A warmth she had never encountered previously sparked into be being. It was small, no more than an ember struggling for life amongst a vast icy landscape, yet its presence was both remarkable and magnificent. "Can you show me how to make it go away?"

"I can not make any promises," warned Ifurita, "but I will try my best to save you from it."

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Author's Notes: And so it begins . . . Wow, we had a real stumbling block thrown into the whole scenario, haven't we? Now just so you all will know, I've been planning this for a long time. Both Ifurita's final success in her efforts against the MAGI and the revelation of hers and the other's extra-dimensional origins was something I've been working towards for ages. Plus I even got to work in a SEELE death. **SPOILER ALERT** Expect more to come. **END SPOILER**

Also this chapter marks a turning point in the story. As many of you have noted, I've said a lot of stuff without actually doing anything. Unfortunately it takes a lot of effort to build a suitable base from which changes could be made. I had to start out small so that the big changes coming didn't blindside you guys. Now that the big changes are made, expect them to start coming faster and more frequently. (Just don't expect the chapters to be written any faster. I'm working on my third novel as I write this and its the second I've done this year alone. I'm only human you know!)

Speaking of changes, expect some payoff on several plot threads in the next few chapters. If you are taking count of the Angels, we've pretty much worked through the really goofy ones and now we're getting into the ones which impacted both the series and this story the most. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Until next time I am always,

Chaos Lord

King of the Wicker People


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